


Claiming: The Sword

by YaminoTenshi202



Series: Kamiyonanayo [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, M/M, More Adapa Characters, Mythology - Freeform, Original Character(s), Pharaoh is the King, Schedule has changed again for 2018, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Yami Yuugi is the Danava, Yami will not be a name used in story, they are not the same person
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2018-10-19 02:44:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10630506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YaminoTenshi202/pseuds/YaminoTenshi202
Summary: A year after Yuugi has completed the Millennium Puzzle, he has settled into a peaceful existence with the King and the Danava, who both remain nameless. He one day gets an invitation from the creator of Duel Monsters...Yuugi prayed for valor.





	1. Prologue: Justine

**Author's Note:**

> The theme is banned literature, film, and the like for this story, as the previous theme was mythology and genesis stories. Keep in mind: these were banned for a reason. Do not search for these unless fully prepared for the controversial content.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Life is only an uninterrupted series of sorrows and pleasures."  
> \- Marquis de Sade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It uploaded by accident. It remains.  
> (24 April 2017 - I am currently ill, but this will be edited.) :(  
> (28 April - Prologue is complete)

_Hello, Danna-sama._

_I did find something new today. Perhaps you will read it when you are older, but most likely not. It is a book that uses violence and cruelty to promote the idea that people can do whatever they wish, as long as they are pleased with the action and the product. It's an interesting philosophy, but it's not one we'd find ourselves following someday unless it would be for your good._

_I hope that you and the King will have fun today with Bakura Ryou-san._

* * *

_Hello, my Other Self._

_That sounds like a weird book, but I hope you enjoy it. That doesn't sound like something I would ever believe in either. I wouldn't want anyone to be hurt or for you to be hurt for my sake. Philosophy is interesting though, especially when it comes to the different ways that people think and believe in things. Have you ever heard of the_ Ghost in the Shell _story? It's a movie and a manga. I think you might like it._

* * *

It had been six months since the King had gotten his body and since Bakura Ryou became their friend and confidant. Yuugi had invited Ryou to their home to play today, and the King was delighted to have their friend to see and meet. It was a new mind that he could interact with, not just Yuugi's. As they sat down in the living room now, the three were playing Sims on the Game Cube. A new file had given them all a strange little house - why two bathrooms? - and now Ryou's character had set the stove on fire. Ryou was laughing and Yuugi found himself leaning into his King's side, the older boy humming as his character ran towards the stove with a fire extinguisher. Somehow, the stove didn't survive but the scrambled eggs did.

The Sims were "speaking" about a baseball, the fire, and something that Yuugi had no means of identifying - bubble gum, maybe? - and hurriedly, the three characters settled back into a calm life of speaking nonsense and playing in the pool that they had just gotten.

A curious feeling swept over him, the shortest wave of interest, and Yuugi knew that his Other Self was watching their game. He reached out as quickly as he could, but there was no purchase, no sign of acknowledgement from his Other Self, his Danava, that he was even noticed.

How many more times would this happen? How much longer would he be oblivious to this spirit and its intentions? It wasn't as though he did not trust the Danava - he had helped them too many times for Yuugi to not be grateful for all of his actions - but they had never spoken. He had only felt him while in the Monster World, a protective shield around them all so that the Other Bakura could not hurt them or abuse the rules of the game. He could feel them every once in a while, a small curl of interest against his mind and a small bit of concern.

He wondered what else his Other Self would get when they went again to the library. The Other spirit would read books and would write in the notebook that they shared. They were strange books, and often his Danava told him not to read them, that he was still too young for such things.

* * *

The Danava sat in the middle of the King's Soul Room, watching them all play their game. He smiled as he saw his Masters and their friend laughed at the strange antics of their small toys and figures on the television screen. There was a sense of ease in this Soul Room, the others, and the Puzzle, and he found himself relaxing.

 _'Let's sleep...'_ the Faceless One, his own consciousness, whispered. The Danava nodded; they would have fallen asleep if not for the sense of dread that filled them. The fear of falling asleep overwhelmed them often, and so for the last three thousand years, they had not slept. They curled on their side, humming some long forgotten song that was slowly coming back.

The memories were slow coming, but everything made more sense as each puzzle piece slipped into place. The Others were starting to awaken and aim towards their communal goal, even if they were oblivious to it. The Danava would have to be on guard to make sure that his masters were safe, but...

_'They could grow, from this. Imagine how pretty it would be.'_

The Danava sat in the middle of the King's Soul Room, watching as children played a game.


	2. The Lonely Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We all leave one another. We die, we change - it's mostly change - we outgrow our best friends; but even if I do leave you, I will have passed on to you something of myself; you will be a different person because of knowing me; it's inescapable..."  
> -Edna O'Brian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are new characters here, some from my own creations and new interpretations of characters already in existence.  
> * If something is underlined in a sea of 'written' (italicized) text, it is written out in English or in Romaji.
> 
> *Welcome to the new story; the first chapter/prologue (Justine) was uploaded by accident, but I kept it because too many of my documents get lost. ::ire::

_Hello, my Other Self._

_We started a new class a while ago. I didn't get a chance to tell you, but I have been busy with school work. It's gotten harder this year, and I'm trying harder than last year. I've been getting classes on Saturdays, now that they offer more classes. Mama's been telling me that I need to bring my grades up. I made a few new friends - one girl named Risa, and a transfer student from Mexico named_ Coatl _\- and I'm still seeing everybody when I can. Hanasaki-kun is leaving soon to America with his family, so I need to hang out with him soon._

_It's started to get cold again. The summer has already passed, but it is still so nice outside. I hope that we can go to the amusement park; I think you'll like it a lot! They have a lot of games. When the King was awake last summer, Anzu and I went to the amusement park. I think you were there, too, to save Anzu. I've never thanked you for that. I owe you so much for that._

_You have done so many things for me, and I have never thanked you, even for my friends. I am sorry for that._

_Perhaps, when we go to the amusement park next, you can have fun._

_I'll talk to you later, my Other Self! I have my sociology work to do._

* * *

_Danna-sama,_

_I'm glad that you are enjoying your new class. The leaves are turning color, just as they did last year. It is nice to see the leaves changing, and the air is colder than we ever remember it being. It is interesting to think that it has been so long since you have solved the Puzzle. I hope that you do excel in all that you do; we wish that you gain what you wish for in the future as well._

_I do remember that day in July last year. You owe me nothing for saving your friend Anzu-san, Danna-sama. She has more protection while she is your friend. She is also a very kind girl. She has been your friend for a long time, many years, and she has helped you grow into a strong young man._

_Your friends that you have, Danna-sama; they are friends that I had no part of changing or doing anything so that they may be your friends. Danna-sama is wonderful, and it is only time that people see it. I am glad that you and Jonouchi-san are together more often. The King is also very pleased when in your company._

_If you ever have a hard time in your studies, perhaps I can help. Some of my books have things of value, even if much of it is fiction. There is some truth in fantasy, and it always changes the one who reads it. The fiction contains worlds._

* * *

School had begun, and it had passed, already into the autumn time. Summer uniforms came and went, and the students of Domino were already preparing for their mid-year curriculum exams. New students had come, and soon they were integrated into the classroom.

Coatl Ramirez was from a town in the Tabasco state of Mexico. He was coming to Japan to study and advance into a university for technical engineering. He often asked Anzu for help with Japanese. He was very good with pronunciation and grammar, but kanji sometimes proved themselves difficult. He also joined the martial arts club, as he had studied Tae Kwon Do back in Mexico.

"Yuugi, is this the right kanji for 'perfect'?" Yuugi turned at the voice of Coatl. They were seated next to each other at school.

"That looks right, Coatl- _kun_ ," Yuugi critiqued, "but your kanji here-" he pointed at the incomplete sign "for 'analysis' needs a stroke there."

Coatl looked down at his sheet, staring and almost burning a hole into the paper with his gaze. He look his pencil and marked his sheet, and the paper was complete. He smiled at Yuugi, saying "Thank you so much, Yuugi!"

"Coatl- _kun_ , are you having problems with anything else?" Yuugi smiled up at the boy with blue eyes. "We were going to study for mid-year exams. Would you like to study with us?"

Coatl hesitated a moment before nodding. "I didn't know if you would want to, since I have to study a lot. I can ask my home family if we can study there; there's a lot of room there."

"Sure!"

"What are you guys talking about?" Honda came over and sat down in his place behind Yuugi, greeting them both.

"We're thinking of a study group, Honda- _san_ ," Coatl explained, "I heard that you were going to study together."

"That's the plan." Honda smiled. "You're good in history, science, and English, Coatl- _kun_. What could you need to study?"

"Japanese, of course." The boy smiled, giving light to the small gap between his front teeth that Yuugi had noticed once or twice before. Coatl turned to Yuugi and opened his mouth before he was interrupted.

"Everyone, sit down!" the teacher ordered.

"Wait, sir!" Jonouchi ran through the door at the last possible second, excusing himself loudly.

The classroom was filled with laughter as the blond boy came to his seat, the teacher clearing his throat and getting on with the class.

* * *

The King was setting down plates that had been dried into the cupboard when Yuugi's grandfather came into the kitchen. The old man smiled at him, to which the King responded with a small smile. It was strange when Yuugi wasn't around. There was an emptiness that he longed to fill, though he didn't always mind it. He just wished that his lover would come home sooner rather than later.

" _Ouji_ , why don't you sit and have some lunch?" Sugoroku smiled at the King and the King smiled back. The old man had taken to calling him 'Ouji' as it was a name that they could even say in public. There was no sense, the man had said, in having a boy stay inside without being able to appreciate the outside world.

The King sat down as Sugoroku set down a plate of rice, vegetables, and cooked fish. He waited until Sugoroku took his spot at the table before picking small pieces and placing them on his tongue.

"You've been working hard. Is it difficult to stand still?"

The King laughed at the question. Certainly, it was hard to be still after being confined to the Puzzle, but...

"If I work hard, time seems to bring Yuugi home faster."

"Ah..." The closeness of the two boys was still something that made Sugoroku grow silent. It was not that he disapproved, but it was the strangeness of it. The boy that sat in front of him was a spirit-made-flesh by an unknown magic (though he could expect much more for Devigado- _kyou_ ). The woman had always had a magic to her, one that had let them get acquainted when she had been so young. This prince had that same air of mystery about him, one that reminded him of Devigado- _kyou_ 's lover. Sugoroku placed some food into his own mouth.

"You two are very close."

The boy turned away for a moment, before swallowing the food in his mouth. His face was pretty neutral, but Sugoroku knew the small pink tinge that colored those dark cheeks.

"We are, sir."

"I don't have a problem with it, but if you hurt my grandson, I will never forgive you."

The prince nodded, saying softly "I would never forgive myself either."

The phone rang, breaking the silence. Sugoroku stood to answer, and the prince set down his utensils.

* * *

Anzu turned to Risa during their lunchtime. Risa was a very soft-spoken girl, but she was very bright. With her mother an Englishwoman, she was very adept in English, making her popular in class, and she was also a very good actress, evident when they began to read out part of Shakespeare.

"But screw your courage to the sticking place, and we'll not fail," she had read aloud, in a voice that seemed so magical as to have Anzu believe her role of a queen to become insane.

"Risa?"

"Yes, Anzu- _san_?"

"We were going to have a study group today, to study for the mid-term exams. Would you like to join us?"

"Sure!" Risa's eyes, somewhat tired, were quite excited. "Who else will be there?"

"Yuugi, Coatl- _kun,_ Bakura _-kun_ , Jonouchi, Honda, and Hanasaki- _kun_..."

Risa smiled, mentioning "I'll stop by my home and bring some snacks, then. I wonder what Hanasaki- _san_ and the others like..."

Anzu grinned back as Risa began to wonder what she could bring. "You like Hanasaki- _kun_ , don't you?"

"Erm..." Risa looked away, focusing on her book on her desk. "I-I forgot to write notes on this passage of Shakespeare. Excuse me, Anzu!"

Anzu thought to how innocent that love was, nothing like what she tried to think of.

* * *

Yuugi had hurried home, calling to his grandfather once he walked through the door. He was surprised to find the King in the kitchen, packing persimmons into a food container.

"King?"

"You called your grandfather earlier, so he said that you should take some food." The King held out the container, now properly lidded. Yuugi looked at the parcel and then up to his love.

"Do you want to come?" Yuugi asked, smiling. "We're just studying, so maybe we can teach you more than what the few textbooks we have can."

The King pressed his lips to Yuugi's hairline, smiling against the smooth skin without blemish. The lids of Yuugi's eyes lowered slightly, wondering how the heat of the other's skin managed to burn a small fire inside of him just with a kiss, his soul igniting in a desire to share his affection.

"Let's go, then. I already helped your grandfather with chores, and he said he was closing early today to go speak with a friend of his."

"All right..."

* * *

The King stayed quiet for most of their study session, reading into the notes that Yuugi took on English, which is what Risa was currently going over with everyone. Coatl had made everyone tea to go along with their studies, cinnamon sticks boiled until their water had taken on a dark, rick golden color, becoming the tea that Coatl called  _canela_. Yuugi's persimmons were shared, and the King found himself keeping a close eye on Coatl, whose dark skin had a different quality than his own, and whose accent held an unfamiliarity that the King could sympathize with.

Risa's own voice was different, holding an elegance that Yuugi's grandfather had when speaking in English, probably from experience.

"So, when you have this verb 'be,' it becomes 'am,' 'are,' 'is,' and the other forms are 'are'..."

"I hate English." Risa laughed at Jonouchi as he went through his English assignment. They were all going over English now, working on conjugation and nouns that they had been covering these last few months. They all had weak points, but Jonouchi just had a hard time with "to be".

"It's okay, Jonouchi- _san_ , even Americans and Englishmen have problems with it," Risa assured him, writing the correct form underneath his sentence "I are running into the ocean to catch fish, already wet from an earlier swim".

"Really?"

"If I got a dollar for every 'I ain't' and 'you is' I've ever heard, I would be a very rich woman." Risa sipped at her cinnamon tea - ' _canela'_ Coatl had called it as he served the golden beverage with some accompanying cinnamon cookies - and gave a small grin. "It's a problem with mis-hearing, too. Some people have never heard the proper forms, so they continue with it. It's like a new language because there's no propriety to home at all. Mixing of languages, like  _franglais_ , which is French and English, causes that sometimes, where different forms and sounds are made. In Japanese, there's no 'L' so I just changed my name when the teachers asked for it to make it easier."

Jonouchi frowned, asking what her name really was.

Risa smiled brightly. "It's 'Lisa'. Usually people have a hard time with my name, so I stick with how one would say it in Japanese, which is Risa. My sisters and I all have English names, so it is better this way."

"English?" Jonouchi ho-hummed. "Did your family live in England?"

Risa nodded, saying "Our parents met while Mother was in a theater troupe and Father had traveled to England to study English literature. Our father fell for the woman that played Lady Macbeth, so much so that her nickname between them became 'Beth'." Risa looked up to the sky happily as she thought of her family. "When Mother was pregnant, she had the name of Elisabeth in her head, and Father loved it. When she had triplet girls, she split up the name between the three of us!"

Anzu laughed, looking up from where she and Yuugi were looking over their sentence structures. "Elisabeth... Is it Elsa, Risa, and Beth?"

"Close. Eli and Bess are my sisters. I'm the youngest." Risa looked over to Hanasaki and his Zombire comics, smiling. "I'm envious of you, Hanasaki- _san_. I have always been overshadowed by my sisters, and even if we are close, we fight a lot. Sometimes there is so much tension, I just have to leave the house."

"Actually, I-I'm envious of your family, Kageyama- _san_ ," Hanasaki answered. "I grew up in a hospital. I know I wasn't there all the time, but I was there too much to make friends, like I can now."

Risa laughed at that.

"Then let's keep each other company. Not too much and not too little, Hanasaki- _san_." Her smile was wide and she reached for the small pot to pour herself some more of the  _canela_. She did notice that Hanasaki's face was pure red now, but she didn't want to draw attention to it.

Coatl reached for the canela after Risa. After studying for another fifteen minutes, Coatl invited his guests up to his room to rest. Risa and Hanasaki stayed behind, as Hanasaki stayed to help Risa with her history studies.

Anzu hurried them all out of the room.

* * *

"I wonder what they are talking about," Hanasaki mentioned, after they had been alone for about fifteen minutes, to Risa, who was working on another part of their history workbook. The girl, light hardly coming to her eyes from how engrossed she was in her work, was lovely.

"I wouldn't know," Risa muttered, lifting her head up and sighing. "Japanese history can be so difficult, especially when trying to line up what I know from England with what I'm learning now."

"I know some American history from my comic books, but that's all I know." Hanasaki stopped at that. "Um, not that I-I don't study-"

"It's okay, Hanasaki- _kun_ ," Risa assured him, smiling brightly. "What comics do you read?"

"Zombire, from Dark Hare comics."

"What's it about?"

"Um, it's about a man that becomes 

Risa smiled.

Risa placed her hand on Hanasaki's hand, the girl gripping the hand gently in her own grasp. 

"I... Hanasaki- _san_ , I very much like you."

Hanasaki blushed, his face growing quite warm at the touch of Risa's hand on his. Her skin was soft and her eyes were such a brilliant green that he found himself enraptured by her gaze.

"I-I also like you, very much, Kageyama- _san_." Hanasaki was somewhat off-put by Risa's own blushing face as she stammered for a moment.

"You can call me... 'Risa'."

"R-Risa- _chan_." Risa nodded, smiling sweetly. She took her free hand and reached into her bag that sat next to her leg.

"Here, I have a gift for you, Hanasaki- _san_." She fished around in her bag for a moment before. The sound of clinking in the bag was revealed to be a collection of stones on a string.

"A bracelet?"

"It's a kind of charm. Each stone is to protect its holder and keep them healthy," Risa explained. "I heard that you're going to be moving soon, so I thought... if I ever got to tell you how much I like you, I would make you something like this, Hanasaki- _sa_ _n_."

Hanasaki nodded, adding, "Thank you, Risa- _chan_... You can call me 'Tomoya,' though."

Risa's face didn't loose its pink tone for quite a while, even after Yuugi and the others returned to their study place. Ah, the milk of human blindness had stained her cheeks red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edna O'Brien's [The Lonely Girl] revolves around the social and sexual growth within Kate Brady, just out of convent school. The book ultimately gives her a life a finality that many young people cannot envision: that separation from those you love can bring you happiness, and any separation can bring you new growth.
> 
> *Coatl Ramirez - I love him so. He is Mexican and an active Tae Kwon Do student, a brown belt (according to ranking systems).  
> ** Second to Korea, Mexico has the highest number of dojangs (schools) and has many champions to claim in tournaments and Olympic competitions. I am proud of this face.
> 
> *"I ain't" and "you was" - I don't mind these in colloquial English, as these are parts of different vernaculars of English, but if I hear one more colleague of mine say these in the professional setting, I am going to go insane.
> 
> * Ah, the milk of human blindness. - A quote from Edna O'Brien's film adaptation of The Lonely Girl [Girl with Green Eyes]
> 
> *Risa, Eli, Bess - The Kageyama Sisters
> 
> Buy me a Ko-Fi :) http://ko-fi.com/A60137BF


	3. 120 Days of Sodom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Nothing quite encourages as does one's first unpunished crime."
> 
> \- Marquis de Sade

_My Other Self,_

_You read a lot of books, especially about philosophy. What have you read about choices? That's something that has always interested me._

_Ever since I was young, my father would come back from work trips, and he always seemed disappointed. I learned, as I got older, that it was because I was small and not very outgoing. I never joined a sport and I was not sociable. I was bullied a lot for my size and my personality. I guess my father was disappointed in me._

_Why would people do things like that? Bully people, I mean?_

* * *

_Danna-sama,_

_One of the books I have read - that I hope you never read, because its manner of addressing such an eloquent thought is quite grotesque and inappropriate - describes four men engaging in horrible acts. One of them says "Nothing quite encourages as does one's first unpunished crime" and that would be a large part of it. The people that bullied Danna-sama were never punished, especially because they were all part of things that were seen as appropriate, like sports and social groups, and Danna-sama was different._

_It is hard to imagine that a parent would not be proud of Danna-sama, but I understand Your father's reasoning, which makes us somewhat less disturbed by the thought. Your father wanted something for his son, a perfect image, and humans are always difficult in understanding that what exists is what is ideal in Creation and may only be improved upon naturally, while social norms can destroy what is an ideal._

_Danna-sama, You are a rare kind of human who feels empathy, seeking out kindness and willing to find the better parts of a person by digging into all of the layers of a person. It is much like love, a love that extends to all of mankind and its kinsmen. As You grow, Danna-sama, we will make sure that You are safe and that the bullying stops. I know that it has for some time, but it never harms to be hesitant._

* * *

During the rest period, Coatl showed Yuugi and his friends some things that he had brought from home. He talked of his life in Tabasco, living in Villahermosa and often visiting the sister city of Coatzacoalcos to see his mother's family. Yuugi slowly absorbed it all, feeling his Other Self's curiosity peak and emerge from behind the distance between them. Anzu admired different pictures of beaches

"Coa-tsu..." Ryou asked what it meant as he saw a visage of the Lady Death. "It sounds like your name."

Coatl smiled. "My name means 'snake' in Nahuatl, one of the native languages in Mexico. Coatzacoalcos means 'the place where the snake hides'."

"That's an interesting thing to have as a name," the King said, smiling and focusing on one item in particular. "Does this have anything to do with it?"

"Oh, this is a painting that I got when I was young," Coatl explained. Nine feathered serpents were dancing - wriggling? - underneath a full moon, each following a being extravagantly dressed with head decorations and tunics that were covered in beads - beads? - and color. The art looked very old, primitive compared to modern art, but its many colors were beautiful, green with golds and reds. There was an angular eye to the art piece, and it was lovely to see such a two-dimensional piece.

"It's the Nine Lords of the Night, rulers over the sun. Here, there is a serpent with each of  them. They were worshiped by the Aztecs, one of the original people of central America. They worshiped the Sun, mainly, but worshiped other spirits too, like the moon, the field, and mountains. It all stopped when the Spanish invaders arrived, but the evidence is everywhere." Coatl smiled at the picture. "It sounds like a magical thing..."

The King turned to Coatl, trying to figure out why the other boy seemed so strange to him.

"Are there ruins of the Aztecs?"

"Yes! There are some ruins despite the advancements in Mexico City, or Tenochtitlan, right in the downtown area. The city itself was built on a swamp, due to the word of Quetzacoatl, protector of humanity, around an eagle that devoured a snake on a cactus; that symbol is on the Mexican flag today. There are pyramids all over Mexico, where they had the main part of their empire."

"Pyramids?" Jonouchi asked, putting down the green beds of a rosary that was hanging on the wall by a nail. "Like the ones in Egypt?"

"No, they're step-pyramids, like the first few pyramids in Egypt," Coatl said, sitting on his bed and making steps in his hand to show the different levels. "The Egyptians perfected the pyramid with those flat sides that they're known for. The Egyptians did a lot of the same, though; they worshiped the sun and natural events, like most early religions did, and they were intellectuals, also similar."

"You know a lot about this, huh?" Honda asked, impressed by their friend's knowledge. "Hey, Yuugi, what about your Puzzle? Do you know anything about it?"

"Erm, it was found in a pharaoh's tomb, but there are no more people alive to ask and there aren't many stories about it, at least that I have seen." Yuugi had asked Iza and Mimi about what they knew about the Millennium Puzzle, but it was mostly legends. Nothing was said about how it was made or where it came from. The names of the pharaoh that the Puzzle belonged to were never found, either. 

"Hm..." Coatl blinked up at his painting, and then to Yuugi he turned and asked what the story was of the Puzzle.

"My grandfather said that there was a magic inside the Puzzle, a darkness. There are Spirits inside the Puzzle who protect the completer of the Puzzle." Yuugi could only give such a response to all of the fantastic things that had happened in the last year. He watched as Coatl turned back to his painting.

"Is it true? I won't laugh if you say it is. I've seen weird things, too."

Yuugi looked to his King, Jonouchi, Anzu... All of his friends and his lover had the expression of surrender on their faces. He got to make the choice.

"It's true."

Coatl turned smiling, an innocent and curious smile. He looked to the King, looking him up and down.

"So... you're the King that was sealed in the Puzzle, I'm guessing." The room was silent as Coatl continued, "And the Demon Armory containing the _Yateoxihuicoatl_ Weapon is out and about, too."

The King grabbed Coatl's wrist, eyes critical. 

"How do you know about me and the Danava?"

"Oh, that's the name they go by?" Coatl asked, stating "We try to know about each other, but it sometimes gets lost in translation and time."

The King let go, voice soft but clear.

"You're an _Adapa_?"

" _Puttala-nitya_ , actually," Coatl explained. He smiled at the King, and any small tension that had just existed between them seemed to fade. "I used to be _Adapa_ , but the belief is almost gone. Without belief, lesser gods tend to lose their abilities. We don't cease existing entirely, but there is no need to be active in the ways of Humanity anymore. We're still on the human plane because stuff like this-" He spread his hand on the painting of the Nine Lords of Night, eyes wistful, "-that keeps beings like me and my siblings around."

"Siblings?"

Coatl smiled. "I'm one of nine. Still waiting for the last two to be born, the Lords I mean."

Anzu hummed at that. "When you say that, do you have human family members?"

"Yes," Coatl said, leaning against the wall next to the picture. "My fourth brother and sisters are all human. The other Six Lords were born in various places. Two, I met in Coatzacoalcos, and the other three were born into my same family."

"You're not all related, then," Jonouchi mused.

"Nope..." Coatl looked over to Yuugi. "I didn't come here just to find out about the Danava. That was a weird coincidence."

Yuugi felt no distrust from the Danava, only that same curiosity, and so he asked, "What is your other name then?"

"Piltzintecuhtli, the third Lord." Coatl smiled and bowed. He stood up, raising his hand out to the King, kindness in his smile. "Whether you're a King or not, you hold yourself like one."

"Thank you," the King replied, grasping the hand, and the air in the room held the same magic that Yuugi had felt in the Monster World game so many months ago. "I hope we don't have any problems, as you and Yuugi are friends."

"Not at all."

 

* * *

When they rejoined Risa and Hanasaki, Yuugi saw that Hanasaki's face was completely pink, and he was wearing a bracelet of stones, smooth and pretty, on his wrist. 

He heard laughter from somewhere, and he smiled when the Danava's curiosity became something like joy and excitement. He reached out, and he was surprised to feel some response, a joy that seemed different than before. It was a sense of anticipation.

Around seven o'clock, they all separated, Yuugi and his King going towards the Game Shop with the feeling of satisfaction.

"There are more people like you and my Other Self in the world. That must be a lot of people," Yuugi mused, looking over to the King. The taller boy nodded, wondering how many people they could have encountered that have hidden their true selves away.

Yuugi felt a push against his mind, the same he felt when his Danava would try to take over his body, but it seemed hesitant, as though he was being asked for permission. Usually, Yuugi just slipped behind the presence whenever they would go to the library, so this pressure had not been felt for a while.

"My Other Self wants to talk, I think." The King blinked back and smiled.

"Go ahead. At least they're asking."

Yuugi's body held still and started for just a moment, before settling into the calm state of control that the Danava held whenever they held control of their loved one's body.

"What did you want to talk about, Danava?"

"You met  _puttala-nitya_ , correct?" The King nodded, and the Danava continued, "You and  _Danna-sama_ are not wrong,  _Teishu-sama_ , to think that there are more out there like us and like Yourself. There are Adapa, the Dolls -  _puttala-nitya_ \- and there are p'Alana, as well."

"P'Alana?" The King tried to find the word in his memories, as it did seem familiar. "So, what are they?"

"Where Adapa are Gods made flesh, Dolls are Gods dormant in flesh, p'Alana are humans who can transcend past the boundary of human and God." The Danava smiled. " _Danna-sama_ and  _Teishu-sama_ are both on the same level as p'Alana. You both have powers beyond what you comprehend, but you, unlike other p'Alana, have the sense to avoid using it for your own means without regards to others. Not many can do that. When the powers awaken, you will be aware of it, so don't worry about it."

"Hmm... Who are some p'Alana that you know of?"

"I do not know. The presence is felt more through person to person contact. Some p'Alana can leave their traces in text, but I have yet to find a book that has not just been imbued with the author's spirit so much that it becomes more spiritual than text." The Danava hummed, musing over the different things that they knew of this world. "Perhaps some religious leaders, those that are healers, those that are warmongers, those that are statesmen... Some do not seek such lofty lives. I do not know for certain about identities; I have only been awake for a year, after all."

"Maybe I was a King before all of this."

The Danava smiled. " _Teishu-sama_ , we knew you back then, and you were definitely a King. Your memories will come back in due time."

"Why can't you just tell me?"

"We are still remembering things,  _Teishu-sama_. We are not recalling everything just yet." The Danava, in Yuugi's body, looked up to the sky. "It will rain tonight. It'd be best to get to the Game Shop soon, lest you and  _Danna-sama_ get ill."

"Right." The King grabbed the Danava's hand, the two running together in the direction of Yuugi's home. Fingers were squeezing tightly, but he couldn't tell who was squeezing first.

* * *

Risa gripped her bag tightly as she and Tomoya walked towards her home. Tomoya's face was red, and she could feel her own face burn. They were almost holding hands, she realized, and she thought of what her mother would think, to see her holding hands with a boy that she had met at the beginning of this school year.

"Ri-risa- _chan_ , this is your house, r-right?"

Risa's green eyes focused on the house where she lived, but she didn't find herself wanting to go inside. She looked to Tomoya and the bracelet that she had given him. The hag stones glistened in the slight, alongside the obsidian there. He was still small, but she did not mind that; his soul was kind and he did not find her strange for liking old stories or for being so particular about English. He laughed, and he understood.

"Yes, it is... Tomoya- _kun_."

His name was still a forbidden taste on her tongue, but she found herself growing more addicted to it, as though it were meant to be on her tongue at all times, lest she go mad.

"Risa- _chan_ , I hope to see you at school tomorrow." Tomoya's voice was small but it was firm. The hope in his voice was very real, and Risa found herself drawn to it. Risa nodded, her face truly on fire now and she bid her object of affection "good night". As she walked inside, Risa looked back and smiled at Tomoya, flattered by the fact that he was waiting until she was safe in her own home. She waved at him, Tomoya doing the same, and they were then separated by the closing of the door.

She was truly blessed, Risa thought; she had her parents, her sisters, and now a boy that she truly liked. Even if he was going to move away, she had never wanted to just miss the chance for a romance, even fleeting. It was something sweet that she could always keep in her memories, alongside the stories of her faith and her family. Risa was humming at the idea, setting her things in their proper place as she flitted about to her room in a daze of love-struck insensibility.

A knock came at her door, but she didn't notice it. Risa, instead, adjusted the light in her room, turning it down so that it was low but not as low as she had it when she would sleep. Turning to get her night clothes, however, she gave a small shriek in surprise.

"God, Eli!" She yelled in English. "You scared me!"

Eli laughed, closing the door behind her. She held a mug that Risa had bought at the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois in the United States. "You're such a babby, Lisa! Next, you'll be scared of skeletons in your closet and faeries eating your flesh."

Risa felt a shiver crawl up her spine, gooseflesh popping up on her arms. She turned her back on her sister, unbuttoning her school jacket, stripping it off, and laying it on her bed.

"Eli, was there something you needed?"

Eli set the mug on Risa's desk, carefully setting the mug on a folded piece of paper that Risa usually used as a coaster. Hands laid themselves on Risa's shoulders, bare as she had begun to take off her shirt. Risa had never felt hands as cold as her sister's at this moment.

"Lisa, tomorrow is Saturday, right?"

"Eh..." Risa had to think a moment, but Eli cut her off.

"Tomorrow night, let's play the Witches, like we did when we were younger." Risa sighed, turning to her sister and noticed her shirt. "Yes, babby sis, I'm wearing your 28-Zombie shirt with Chris on it."

"Eli, stop wearing my clothes." Risa held out her hand. "Come on, Dad isn't home. You can walk around without a shirt."

"Ugh..." Eli almost ripped the shirt off, grumbling about the hassle of redressing for bed. "Anyway, dear. Witches. Tomorrow. Yes."

"Why play that game?"

"Oh, Lisa... You're still pretending that you're normal," Eli cooed. She turned back and bid her youngest sister good dreams. "Just play with us tomorrow, okay? It'll be worth it."

"Fine," Risa answered, scowling. "Whatever you want, sis."

"Bess is coming home, too!" Eli yelled through the door. "Her hoity-toity academy doesn't have Saturday classes and she's getting time off for."

"Thanks for letting me know!"

Risa took of the rest of her day clothes and slipped on her nightgown. She looked to the mug that Eli brought.

She hummed at the sight of hot chocolate with peppermint. Risa brought the mug to her lips, taking the first sip. It was the perfect temperature, she thought, sitting on her bed as she sipped at the drink.

She looked at the pictures that decorated the top of her vanity mirror. Bess and she were dancing while Eli played the flute; Eli was giving Risa a piggy back ride; Bess and Eli were dressed up as two of the witches from  _Hocus Pocus,_ and Risa had yet to put on her purple cloak to match with her older sisters, a black cat doll in her arms.

Bess was studying for the field of international affairs, but her sister had found a way of studying at an international school so that she could take online lectures for English literature. It was rare when she would come home to visit. It would be good to see her.

Risa finished her drink, and she felt exhausted, energy draining from her body. She yawned and maneuvered to get under her blankets, dreams to be haunted by Tomoya and the ice from her sister's hands.

* * *

 

Someone in the Kageyama house awoke the next morning, ready for a day at Domino High School. They had felt magic in their sleep, over the body, and they were ready to seize it.

Risa was still asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Don't read "120 Days of Sodom" unless you want every sadistic/murderous fetish out there. This story is still banned is many countries.
> 
> *"I've seen weird things, too" - My grandmother, mother, aunt (1 of 5), brother, and I have all had some interaction with supernatural or paranormal things. My mother is pretty sure that she has witnessed spirits. I do not doubt it. In my Catholic-striven family, we are not resistant to superstition, by culture and experience.
> 
> *Yateoxihuicoatl - roughly, the Turquoise War-Serpent (or the Precious War-Serpent), in Nahuatl
> 
> *Coatl, as Piltzintecuhtli - Piltzintecuhtli is one of the Nine Lords of the Night in Aztec mythology. He is seen as protector of children and the god of hallucinatory plants. (My mother's hometown in Mexico was part of the Aztec empire, so there is actually a good chance that we have Aztec blood in us... I am learning some Nahuatl.)
> 
> *Puttala-nitya - Puttala (doll) and nitya (eternal) - These are the deities and gods that have become "eternal dolls" who are human and may experience lives over and over again until reaching the Void (Nirvana, Paradise, Heaven, whatever... I'm calling it the Void). "Void" in Sanskrit is "nirjana" which inspired the word nirvana. These Gods are now ones that have no following but still retain some abilities.  
> *p'Alana - I had this idea for a while, implied with the chapter of the Dragon Cards in Book 1: Creation Myth. They are as the Danava said, blessed by Gods (even Adapa, Puttala-Nitya, or other p'Alana) with a purpose.  
> ** p'Alana is not exclusive.
> 
> * I do not know for certain about identities - It's neat when manga and anime put in real people for characters (like Madoka Magica did for Cleopatra, Jeanne d'Arc, and Anne Frank) but I'm talking about Gods, so I think it tactful to avoid it for now (possibly forever).
> 
> Hag stone: Hag stones or adder stones were believed to have magical powers such as protection against eye diseases or evil charms, preventing nightmares, curing whooping cough, the ability to see through fairy or witch disguises and traps if looked at through the middle of the stone, and recovery from snakebite.


	4. The Birth of a Nation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Though we had never met, I have carried you about with me for a long, long time. 
> 
> \- Colonel Ben Cameron, film; Thomas Dixon and D.W. Griffith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 September 2017 - I am posting a preview, as many things came up, including a new fandom, homework, helping my family with school work, a new position at work, a few depressive episodes, trying to study for my GREs (and finding out about them), and a new tax course that I am taking.
> 
> 12 October 2017 - Finally, full chapter.
> 
> I thank the author not_poignant for inspiration

The King, pressing his hand lightly against Yuugi's forehead, pondered the thoughts that had bothered him. Yuugi was still sleeping, and the sun had not yet risen. The King pressed his lips to Yuugi's forehead, smelling a sweet scent from his love.

Yuugi's grandfather had set up a room for the King to sleep in, but Yuugi had brought the King to his room, pressing kisses sweetly to his lover's cheeks and jawline. The King had returned the affection, quietly taking off his lover's clothes and laying hands over unmarred skin. They created no union but only a wonderful feeling of intimacy that made the world around them disappear. It was not to say that anything save for conquest could make them completely become one, but that the touch was a feeling that the King could only handle so often.

Yuugi's grandfather, since the talk that he shared with the King, had not pressed them to stay in separate rooms, now accustomed to the stray hand-holding and gazes that they would give one another. The King was often pulled into Yuugi's room, their kisses and touches left nearly silent, as they wished to not have anyone come in uninvited, least of all Yuugi's grandfather.

* * *

Yuugi smiled as he woke up, seeing his lover and feeling his other self curl against his mind, greeting him for the new day. He sent happiness and energy as best as he could with his still weak means of translating feelings into actions that his Other Self could interpret as a warm greeting.

His Other Self pushed him to get out of bed, gently ushering him to start his school day. Yuugi nodded, turning to the other source of warmth in his life currently present. His King's body was against his, and bright eyes of red were focused on Yuugi, joy apparent there. Yuugi bent down and the King rose so that their mouths could meet, their bodies alive and awake with each other's presence there.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Yuugi." Yuugi stood up from his bed, smoothing out his pyjamas in a weak attempt to avoid getting up for school right at that moment.

He looked down at his King and smiled, pressing a sweet kiss to the other's mouth in a moment of bliss. The King looked up at him, smiling.

"Have you been awake long?"

"Not too long." The King sat up, laying his head on Yuugi's shoulder and making the boy flush. Too many thoughts went through his head when he would wake up from sleep and try to comprehend so many feelings in the morning, and now that he could feel another set of emotions - a third, whenever his Other Self would press a few emotions against his Soul - he had too much of a base to settle some good fantasies upon, fantasies of touching, tasting, and ignoring the world about them, just to be lost to his lover again.

"Let's get breakfast," the King murmured, sensing Yuugi's distraction. He pressed a kiss to his clothed shoulder and ushered Yuugi out of bed, smiling at Yuugi's slight embarrassment and pulling him to his clothing that was always being laid out for the day. It had been laid out and ready for the last few months, that way that Yuugi could just get dressed and hurry out in case he would be late for school.

This morning, he wouldn't be late. He had already taken a bath last night, so a quick shower was okay. He waved the King off when he had gathered his things, ready to go into the bathroom and start his day.

As the King made his way downstairs, he greeted Yuugi's grandfather with a bow, and he was greeted by a warm smile. There was hardly any discourse between them, and that made everything better. He saw the bowl of miso soup, and he grabbed the empty bowls on the counter. He saw that it was only three bowls, and he sighed at the missing space that Yuugi's mother had left. Karuta had left again, wishing to see her husband and stay in England with him. Her husband had also heard of a possible job for her while she was with him; that would be sent back to Yuugi's grandfather and be added to her son's college fund.

She had welcomed him into their home, offered him clothing that had belonged to Yuugi's father and that she had saved for Yuugi if he would have grown a bit more by now. It was clothing that smelt of moths and age, like they had a story to them. One shirt had a stain that had never come out; it was the color of a dark rust and smelt of iron. She had given him children's Japanese books when she found out that he had a hard time with Kanji, shown him workbooks that Yuugi had used to get him into the steady practice of writing each character properly, and had made flashcards that they had played games with.

Karuta was a good woman, he figured, pouring the soup into each bowl and wishing for a fourth. He felt his blood stir at the idea of a fifth bowl being there soon.

"Did you sleep well, Ouji _-kun_?" The King turned to Yuugi's grandfather, seeing the old man sit down. The man had set out the cooked eggs and rice, ready to be eaten. The King nodded.

"Did you sleep well, Sugoroku _-jii-san_?"

"You can call me 'grandfather' now," Sugoroku said, his voice warm. He gestured over the young man to sit with him. The King nodded, bringing the bowls over as carefully as he could and setting one down in front of his grandfather first.

"There you are, _Jii-chan_."

He had just started to drink his juice when Yuugi came down, ready for the day and the Puzzle around his neck. The King closed his eyes as Yuugi and their grandfather began to talk about the day. He was home.

* * *

"Good morning, Yuugi!" Yuugi waved to Anzu who was coming close to the school gates. He ran towards her, eager to see her. He wanted to tell her about the new information that he had learnt the day before.

"Good morning, Anzu! How are you doing today?"

Anzu smiled. "I feel good, especially after all of that studying... and I bet that Risa feels good, too." She gestured with her head over to the girl that was walking towards the school, her green eyes looking around the area.

Risa looked somewhat sleep-addled, holding onto her books close to her chest. Her body was tense, as though she was lost, still daydreaming.

"Risa- _chan_!" Anzu called over, and their friend walked over to them, a small smile on her face.

"Good morning, Anzu- _san_ , Yuugi- _kun_." Risa shifted her grip on her school bag, a briefcase that she had always preferred since the beginning of the school year. Her cheeks were rosier than normal. "Are we still waiting for the others?"

"Yep! I haven't seen Jonouchi- _san_ and the others yet." Yuugi looked around; usually Hanasaki was ahead of the rest, as his father was now to be working in Domino for an extended period of time, until the move to America at the end of next month, and Hanasaki had been driven to the school everyday. Honda would usually follow, as he had gotten a new bike and would make it to school early.

"Oh..." Risa smiled a bit more widely, seemingly more awake now.

"Did you stay up last night, Risa?" Anzu smiled at her. "Did you stay up all night thinking of Hanasaki?"

Risa didn't blush at all this time; she seemed more flustered than anything else, having not expected such a question.

"No, my older sister Eli kept me up. She, Bess, and I are going to have a girls' night, and she was planning it out," she explained. "We used to play a game that we made up, all to do with Shakespeare's stories and different myths."

"That sounds fun!" Yuugi could feel some curiosity from his Other Self as well. Yuugi made a mental note to get a book of Shakespeare's plays and poems when they went to the library next time.

"It's usually more frustrating than anything," Risa admitted, "but it can be pretty fun."

The bell was soon ringing for them to come to class, and the three went inside the gate's boundaries, turning to calls from their other friends as they all approached the school building.

The school day began, but there was a small sense of dread in Yuugi's stomach. He didn't know who it belonged to. There was a small sound ringing in his ears, like someone had been calling him.

"...gi- _kun_?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. What is it, Risa _-chan_?"

"I was wondering about that pendant that you have around your neck? It looks dreadfully old." Yuugi smiled.

"It's the Millennium Puzzle. It was found by archaeologists about sixty years ago."

Risa's eyes twinkled, and she went on, "It's like the charm I gave Tomoya _-kun_. It's supposed to help him feel better. What kind of magic does your Puzzle have?"

"Protection."

He was certain of that.

* * *

Bess walked into the house while Risa was still asleep. The middle triplet quickly went upstairs, peeking into her sisters' rooms. Eli's was first, and she pouted at the sight of the empty room. A poster Christopher Lee stared down at her with an alluring eye, comically bright red-orange blood decorating his shirt, and Van Helsing stood with a stake in his hand on another poster. Duel Monsters were on a poster as well, the familiar Hag, Maid, and Mother all standing with snake idols drawn around them, a wonderful painting of the macabre designs that Industrial Illusions provided for Mid-Earth Expansion. Staring back with bright green eyes, Bess wondered how much of her culture she didn't know; not that it was at the top of the list of her priorities at the moment, but it did tickle the back of her mind.

Bess heard a soft groaning and she left Eli's room. On her way to Risa's room, Bess set her bag down by her own door, a door that she had decorated with stars, moons, and music notes. She had a vague longing for her teachers at her academy, especially her choir instructor, but the longing for her sisters was greater.

She walked towards Risa's room and saw her younger sister tossing and turning in bed, her face contorted in discomfort. Bess walked over and held her as best as she could, cooing and crooning to her in attempt to soothe her. Bess looked up at her sister's drawers, seeing pictures of their family in various frames. She also spotted pictures of various people in school uniforms that matched Risa's own.

Marcella and Takumi had been blessed when they had met each other in the Palace Theatre twenty years ago; that was the story that they had always told their triplet daughters. They didn't stop their lives, however, and the triplets found themselves in so many international schools that Eli and Bess had retreated into themselves, focusing on the lives that they shared as sisters. In this way, they'd always have their best friend with them, never forming a connection that they would have to break.

Risa had always been a bit different. She would indulge Eli and Bess with their games, but she always wanted to be away from her sisters as well. Risa would dream of flying everywhere and saying farewell to everything that she touched and held dear. As Risa settled into slumber, Bess stood up and took up a picture frame.

At their previous school, when they all went to middle school together, Risa had been part of the theatre group. Eli had hated that their youngest sister wanted to be away from them, and out of love for both sisters, Bess had never taken either side. Not even when Risa would cry that her older sisters hated her, and her mother would scold the older girls, Bess did not defend anyone; it was something that Eli and Risa had to understand in one another.

"I'm so sorry, Risa," she whispered to the green-eyed girl in the photo, a smiling and bright Risa that was dressed up as Hamlet's Ophelia.

She held the frame to her chest and looked to her watch.

11:52 in the morning.

'Eli must be holding up her charade quite well,' she thought. The confidence in her sister made her smile, and a power in her blood began to burn.

She felt like singing, because Risa would want to be with them from now on.

* * *

Wherever there is music from a Spirit, a demon lies. Kind or maleficent, it sleeps inside of it, twisting tunes into spells or curses or even things meant only to delight.

The Danava knew this well, and when they heard a Banshee calling, they pressed all of their worry outward, to the only one that could possibly understand them.

* * *

"Is it nice having a girlfriend, Hanasaki?" Honda teased. The younger boy just blushed and Honda clapped a hand on Hanasaki's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, man! Let love take charge!"

"Yeah, 'cause it worked so well for you, Honda!" Jonouchi smiled over at Hanasaki, whose cheeks burned. "Risa is a nice girl. You can relax. I'm just wondering..."

"About what, Jonouchi _-kun_?"

"Well, you're moving next month to America, right?"

Tomoya nodded, and he looked down at his desk. The day was almost over, only being at school for several hours rather than the majority of the day. He looked over to Risa, who did not look over to him. She hadn't looked at him all day, even after she had called him by his first name and had given him the bracelet. She felt like a different person.

* * *

The King went about his chores for the day, wondering about what the Danava had told him the day prior. He found himself thinking of his own magic and what it could mean. The darkness inside of his body, his bones, his chest; it never tried to jump out of his control, but he didn't doubt that it might decide to one day. Yuugi's soul was light itself; something inside of him told him profusely that light and dark were not to mix, as they were opposites in every way. What could exist as a beautiful harmony inside of them would become a chaos that could not be restrained once set free unto the world; however, his soul told him that they could live in tandem.

He began to hum something that held no words in his heart, a wordless tune that his voice was struggling to create meaning in but ended up fruitless.  
He looked to the clock and saw that Yuugi would be coming home soon. the King smiled, trying to hurry with his chores. They had plans to go see a film that had come out earlier in the year, something scary.

A wave of concern swept over him, and the King found himself falling to his knees, dropping one of the older game controllers that Sugoroku-jii-chan would keep on display in the game shop. It was a familiar feeling, one that he had felt when he had first awoken, a concern that had woken him up in the first place.

He pushed back against the Danava's energy, like touching a balloon that would give under his touch. It pushed back, this time with images and words that were heard. The King could see Yuugi and his friends leaving school. Something felt off about Risa, and the Danava suspected somehting foul.

'A doppelganger?'

' _No, this creature is real... Didn't Risa mention triplets?_ '

The King nodded, bending down to pick up the controller and place it on the counter. He pressed forward, reaching to feel the same power that the Danava had felt. The Danava allowed it and the King realized the worry.

The power that had reached out for its sibling was hungry, wanting, and it couldn't determine what would sate it. It wanted to serve something, reaching a goal that was similar to Yuugi's own, one selfless and selfish.

' _The Witch that is here with Danna-sama is too curious of the Puzzle._ '

'Does she feel you?'

' _I don't know. She's very clever, this Witch... The school is far away now. Danna-sama accepted an invitation to the Kageyama home._ '

The King reached out through the Bond with Yuugi and saw that he was with his friends.

'I'll go to him. Keep him safe!'

' _Of course._ '

* * *

"Risa- _chan_ , what are you planning at your house? Will we be meeting your sisters there?" Risa turned to Yuugi and nodded.

"Of course!" Risa led everyone to her home, and Yuugi turned to Hanasaki. The boy's face was flushed, as though there was a desire burning underneath his skin that couldn't be shooed away. He stood on Risa's right side and Yuugi was walking just behind him, but Risa's attentions were focused towards Yuugi and he understood the other boy's discomfort.

"I'm home, with guests!" Risa called as they arrived. It was a nice house, and the bus ride had been kind to everyone. They left their shoes at the doorway and walked down towards the living room. Jonouchi and Honda gawked at the lavish decorations from various places around the world. London, Florence, Samara, Chicago, Tongyeong, Barcelona, St. Louis, and more; this family had even more places to explore than any of them could in a lifetime. Bakura pointed out a few images that caught his eye.

"Is that the Sarbonne in Paris?"

"My father taught there for a little while."

Risa helped them to the living room, where she then asked for some assistance from Yuugi, Hanasaki, and Anzu in the kitchen, as she said "Just in making tea for a whole group of teenagers." She invited them to look around the living room, smiling as they picked up little tchotchkes from about the room.

"I'll get out a cake for everyone. It's downstairs in our icebox." Risa excused herself after they had gotten the tea set ready. Hot water had already been prepared - "Bess and Eli must have been expecting us sooner."

"Do you need help, Risa- _chan_?" Hanasaki came forward and smiled up at her. Green eyes twinkled back and Hanasaki's smile changed somewhat, more subdued now.

"All right, let's go to the icebox." Risa and Hanasaki began to walk down a hallway that led to the back of the house. Before they made it out the doorway, Risa asked Yuugi to perhaps get some vanilla biscuits from the pantry.

"I'll take this to the living room, then, Yuugi." Anzu carried one tray of tea and cups to the living room, easily managing the china and the drinks. Yuugi nodded and watched as she left the room, just keeping an eye on her to make sure that she didn't drop anything, despite her reassurances to him.

"Okay, now where are those biscuits?" Yuugi opened the pantry, and he looked around for any biscuits in the pantry. He saw boxes for different cereals, some with bright colorful labels in English that Yuugi was sure had more sugar than cereal; different teas with different languages on them; and of the many boxes and tins that Yuugi saw, he couldn't spot a vanilla biscuit tin right away. He spotted a blue circular tin, but he recognized the word "butter" and figured that it wasn't correct.

He stared into the pantry for a good while, hearing his friends in the sitting room chat away about the short school day and their coming assignments. He wondered, as he navigated where to place the containers as to not knock them over, about Risa and Hanasaki.

"Oh, you must be Yuugi _-kun_." Yuugi turned and saw a girl with a blue blouse and black skirt...

"Yes! Mutou Yuugi... Are you one of Risa's sisters?"

The girl nodded.

"My name is Bess. It's wonderful to make your acquaintance." Bess bowed. Looking at and listening to her, Yuugi felt that she was quieter than even Risa. "Are you getting something?"

"Oh," Yuugi stammered out. "Risa mentioned something about vanilla biscuits, but I can't find them in here at all."

Bess looked pensive for a moment, one hand fiddling with the hem of her blouse. Her eyes shot to a look of realization, and she snapped the finger and thumb of her other hand, the small sound cracking the air.

"I think they're actually in the icebox!"

Yuugi sighed slightly at that before seeing Bess wave him over.

"It's okay, I'll show you the basement."

"Sure, if you don't mind."

They walked down the corridor, and the rest of the group was still chatting away in the living room.

The hallway felt long, but Yuugi didn't mind it, as Bess began to ask about Domino High School and Risa's time there.

"She is in the drama club, Bess- _san._ We're actually reading part of Shakespeare in class for our World History course, and she's amazing at it!"

"She always has been!" Bess cheered, showing such a deep affection for her younger sister. "For being the youngest, she's really the most outgoing. She's like our parents, really. They love traveling and being with the people in every new place that we've gone to, to live in. Oh, here's the basement door."

The door opened to a small staircase. Yuugi could see the steps faintly, but Bess led the way, ushering him to follow, something Yuugi couldn't resist. If Risa today was somewhat repellent, Bess was magnetized. Yuugi didn't want to pull away from her ideas or words, compelled to engage with her. It was rather dark as the door closed behind them, but Yuugi felt quite safe. The distance seemed impossibly long; Yuugi felt the coolness of the basement seeping into his bones.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Yuugi saw Bess in front of him, though not so far as to not see her face. Her face was stoic, lips tight in a strained smile.

"Bess- _san_?"

"... I'm sorry." She stopped, and Yuugi fell forward, pulled down by an energy that wanted him down. It pulled at his heart, and the more he resisted, the more he felt fire in his blood, a pain unbearable without groaning low in his throat.

"B-Bess- _san_ , w-what..?"

"We just need your Puzzle. That's all." Yuugi looked up, Bess kneeling down on one knee next to him. She placed a hand on his back, rubbing it in circles to soothe him. "Just tell me I can have it and all will be well."

"N-No."

"Bess, get over here." A new voice, almost identical to Bess's and Risa's voices but so much sharper, came from further in the basement, but surely the basement couldn't be that big. Yuugi let Bess tell him to move along with her, Bess grabbing his arm and pulling him up. The fire in his blood came again as he tried to resist, needles joining the flame.

"Don't resist the _draíocht_ , Yuugi- _kun_. It'll only hurt worse." Yuugi sighed, giving into the words and into the relief that followed. He followed Bess into the shadows, seeing a light that couldn't exist this far down in the basement. Torchlight stood upon short poles, the flames licking the air in languid strokes. Yuugi could see small squares on the walls, blinking at the realization that they were windows to let any smoke out. He saw two people on the ground, arms behind their backs and gags in their mouths.

"R-Risa- _chan_? Hanasaki- _kun_?"

"Welcome, Yuugi- _kun_ , though I didn't think that you could resist Bess's glamour." Yuugi saw Risa - the one that he had met at school that day, as her school uniform was still on - come from her seat hidden in the shadows. She set a hand on the other Risa's head, the other girl growling at her. "And my little sister couldn't help either. Shame, really."

"Are you the oldest sister?"

"Eli, yes." Eli sighed. "What gave it away?"

"You didn't act right, not like Risa."

Eli sighed. She grabbed Risa roughly, the youngest triplet crying out. Yuugi wondered how long Risa had been tied up, the girl still in her night clothes. Hanasaki was crying out against the gag in his mouth, his muffled calls for Risa loud in the darkness of the basement. Risa was laid upon a pattern of circles and snakes, her body against the stone floor. Eli frowned, moving the gag enough to let Risa gulp in air to her burning lungs.

" _Risa_ ," Eli cooed in English, " _we'll wake you up really soon._ "

" _What do you mean? I don't know what you're doing! Why are you two hurting Tomoya and Yuugi-kun_ _?_ "

Eli sighed. " _I can't believe that you're still sleeping. You're too intuitive to still be human_."

Risa blinked up at her sister, speechless. Yuugi struggled against Bess's magic, this _draíocht_ that she had mentioned, but he kept part of his mind open, trying to hear what Eli and Risa were saying.

"Yuugi- _kun_ ," Bess whispered to him, her breath tickling his ear, "please give us the Puzzle."

Even if he didn't understand all of it, he knew that Eli said that Risa was sleeping.

"Why?"

"We just want to wake our sister up. Your Puzzle can do that." Yuugi turned to her, and her eyes seemed so sad.

"... Are you _Adapa_?"

"Gorgons... We just want our sister to be with us again. She's always forgotten us, but it's never taken her this long to wake up." Bess's magic washed over him, and Yuugi felt his eyes tearing up. A pit of emptiness opened inside of him, and he felt despair rise up within him. He felt a longing for home, the taste of salt in his mouth and the sound of waves in his ears. He wanted Risa next to him, wanted to see her smile, and he wanted to be seeing the world with Eli and Risa-

"No!" He pushed away from Bess, running towards Risa and Hanasaki. Eli turned around just as Yuugi rushed past her, falling to the ground as soon as Yuugi pushed her down. The _draíocht_ magic burned against his skin, but Yuugi ignored it, pulling away Hanasaki's bonds and the two rushing to free Risa.

Bess ran forward, and Risa had managed to stand up enough to kick her sister in the abdomen. Bess fell back, crying out and the burning _draíocht_ fading.

The three ran into the darkness, looking for the stairs.

"Yuugi- _kun_ , how are you here?"

"Your sister invited us... Just for the Puzzle." Yuugi looked into the darkness, trying to figure out where to go. "Damn it!"

"Risa- _chan_ , where is the exit?"

"I don't know..." Risa murmured. "I don't... I don't know what my sisters want or how to get out of this!"

"Risa." Hanasaki grabbed her hand tightly. "Calm down. Let's just find the way out."

Yuugi nodded, but Risa just stayed next to Hanasaki, embracing him.

"Tomoya- _kun_..."

"Yuugi! Hanasaki!"

Yuugi turned to the voice, and it was his King's voice. He pulled the other two along towards the noise.

"Are the stairs this way?" Risa pulled Tomoya along, her face haggard but determined. Yuugi didn't answer, only making a pained noise as his legs hit the bottom step. He fell, trying stand up as fast as he could.

"You aren't leaving again, Risa."

Eli's voice was close. The three turned to her, seeing lightning in her hands and the light illuminating her face.

Yuugi spread his arms out, Risa and Hanasaki moving behind him. They held each other tightly, wishing each other's well-being. Yuugi found himself jealous; would he die down here? Would he be lost down here forever? The concern and worry in his brain was overpowering, only contested by the terror in his belly. Love in his heart flooded him with a longing that he couldn't process. He had the urge to run away, but he didn't want to, not when his friends could be hurt in his stead. He didn't know what was _draíocht_ or his own emotions anymore.

Pride flooded through him suddenly, and Yuugi realized who the worry and pride belonged to. The crack of wooden steps being stomped upon was sharp in the air, and Eli aimed her magic instead above Yuugi's head. Yuugi felt his stomach drop at the realization that his friends and the King - his King, love, life, partner of his soul - were on the stairs.

"Stop, Eli- _san_!"

"If you won't give me the Puzzle, I'll just take it!" The magic shot forward, a glowing ball of light that filled the air with the scent of lightning and ash. It was a brilliant blue, almost white in its brightness. Yuugi wondered how his own light looked as he fell backwards, the force of the magic pushing him back before the light came at him.

"Stop!"

He heard someone shout his name.

'... Danava?' Yuugi lifted his head, and someone new stood there, their arm outstretched.

" _rdi sA r_!"

The magic halted the witches in their places, and everyone stood in amazement as a small part of the world stood in place. Jonouchi and the King went to Yuugi's side, the King helping Yuugi stand. Light covered the bottom of the staircase, Anzu helping Risa stand and Tomoya holding tightly to his girlfriend once she got her balance back. Honda and Ryou stood on the staircase, vigilant.

Jonouchi let his jaw drop and everyone gathered their bearings.

"Is everyone all right?"

All nodded, save for Yuugi. He just looked up at the person in front of them that had spoken, this new voice that he had only heard once before.

"I'm so happy that I can meet you, Other Me."

The Danava turned to Yuugi, who had finally broken the silence. There was a moment when Yuugi felt safe, safer than he had ever felt since solving the Puzzle. Their face, pale, was set in a stern expression, and their red eyes took everything in. They turned back to face their opponent, and Yuugi couldn't read whatever expression had been there and was now gone.

"I wish it had been under better circumstances, _Danna-sama_."

Eli and Bess fell to the ground, Eli pushing herself up almost instantly with her bright green eyes glistening in the shadows.

"... You're a demon."

The Danava made a noise, almost huffy and proud. The Danava's left hand came down, inky shadows covering his arm. Lightning came over Eli's hand again. Bess came towards them, a silver energy in her grasp.

"Do you want the Puzzle, little soft-thing?"

Eli growled. "Will you stop me?"

The Danava stepped aside, Yuugi staring up at them with wide eyes.

"Try, little soft-thing."

Eli's magic retreated back, an energy that laid like a glove over her hand and fingers. She took a step forward, hesitant.

The Danava did nothing.

She came closer, and Yuugi only felt safe.

When she even with where the Danava stood, she was met with a quick punch to her stomach. Risa and Bess cried out, Eli slumped over the Danava's inky arm before she clambered to get away from them. She let out a cry of rage, eyes wild.

"I told you to try, little snakelet. If you can't get to it, I suppose you don't want it that much." The shadows pulled away from their arm, and the Danava turned to Yuugi and the King. " _Danna-sama, Teishu-sama_ , I suggest that we all leave."

The King nodded, watching as Bess tended to Eli. Honda grabbed Hanasaki and began to pull him up the stairs, Ryou keeping an eye on him and leading him to the top. Anzu helped Risa.

Jonouchi and Honda stayed behind, watching their friends, the Danava, and the witches.

"Let's get out of here," Honda said, trying to get his friends to follow. Jonouchi nodded, the sound of people going up the wooden steps tempting. The King and Yuugi began to follow.

A cry from Eli rang in their ears. Yuugi turned, seeing fangs and claws ready to tear into him, but the safe feeling persisted, growing only more sure as the Danava caught the girl in their arms.

"You old hag! Viper!" Eli cried. "Let go! Bring me my sister!"

"Child, you think you can command me?" The Danava's gaze was growing more serious - annoyed, perhaps - and Eli glared back at them. Her lips twisted into a cruel smile.

"You cannot hold me!"

"Prove it, snakelet."

"Other Me!" Yuugi found himself crying as the Danava had lightning run through their body, their teeth clenched tightly in pain as they struggled to hold onto her. The basement flooded with light and Yuugi saw that where Hanasaki and Risa had been held was only several meters away from the staircase. Was the illusion that great?

With a grunt, the Danava threw Eli towards Bess, who only ran to catch her sister. They panted, and Honda came close to the Danava, hands up in a show of concern and weakness.

"Hey... Are you alright?"

The Danava nodded hastily, standing back up with a hungry look in their eyes. "Well, then. Little soft-snakelet, do you want to fight me?"

Bess stood up now, her silver magic turning into glowing flames. The Danava only smiled, shadows covering their left arm again.

"Player two? Excellent. _Game start_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The Birth of a Nation (1917) is a racist film that helped people realize how influential film was, setting many precedents. The new film The Birth of a Nation (2015) is about the Nat Turner slave rebellion, which is excellent.
> 
> *Butter biscuits - Excellent sewing supplies, brought to you by Danish Butter Biscuits
> 
> *Draíocht - Irish term literally translating to "magic"; in not_poignant's stories (Fae Tales - read it, it's amazing), this term is used to described the glamour that fae use to influence and mingle with humans. Fae Tales is also my largest resource to Western faerie tales and mythology outside of research, so I owe not_poignant a lot for that.
> 
> *Adapa v. Gorgons - Adapa is a Sanskrit word, a dead language. Gorgon is used often in many languages. [See the Hekate Yugioh Cards and the polymerized version of all three, the Gorgon (see also Greek mythology)]
> 
> *rdi sA r - "Stop" - I'm learning ancient languages for this story. I can't read hieroglyphs or anything like that, but excellent linguistics and syntax have always been my thing.


	5. Bonus: The Devil's Experiment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I will show you many painful things.
> 
> \- The Man Who Never Dies, "Guinea Pig: He Never Dies"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Ides of March!

The darkness surrounded her, and she was terrified. There was no end or beginning; a perfect void, and it was ready to devour her, tear at her bones as a man had once done.

“You’re different,” she heard.

“Do I interest you?” she chirped. She hoped so. She wanted to get out of the darkness, but if the darkness wanted her…

She’d fulfill her purpose.

How long could she be hurt before she forgot who she was? There was no end in sight, nor was there a dulling in the pain.

She could see her older brother, and they were both starving again. The voices of their abusers echoed in her ears, and the pain that she had lived through tore through her body suddenly. She let out a cry as her bones became fire, her flesh ash, and her blood turned into the hottest of sand.

She felt her heart stop and soon there was no more thought.

To the immortal corpse, the darkness said, “No.”

Her bright light remained, and she thought of the man that had called her his bride.

She hated that man, the man that called her his bride. He had carved her open and placed a child in her belly, a creature that she loved but the night of his creation forever gave her nightmares. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first of 8 bonus chapters. The first six are based on the Guinea Pig Series, which are controversial films. Two of them had to be heavily investigated to disprove the theory that actors were murdered during filming.


	6. The Catcher in the Rye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost every time somebody gives me a present, it ends up making me sad.
> 
> \- Holden Caulfield; J.D. Salinger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone. Happy (late) Ides of March!
> 
> It's been a troubling past six months. Depression, school, work, still living with my parents, and trying to move house; I've had creativity here and there, and I've helped Devan with a few works...
> 
> I'm sorry for the wait, but it's now my first week off in forever, and I have some words here now for you :D
> 
> *3/19/2018: I began to write this (again) on March 15, but it kept deleting itself and my grandmother died the next day. I hope that I can remain productive during this time, but I will be taking care of more things for my father.

"Run. Now."

It was the only command that Jonouchi and the others got before they turned and ran up the stairs. The light from upstairs seemed so far away, but they made it, quickly. They had no sooner cleared the stairway that Jonouchi and Honda let out a cry as someone crashed into them, having been thrown up the flight upstairs. The groaning voice was so familiar that Jonouchi had to look twice; the Danava was rubbing at its head.

"Other me, are you okay?" Yuugi asked, his eyes looking to Jonouchi for a split second before focusing on the Other Yuugi.

"Yes,  _Danna-sama_. The snakelets are actually quite strong." The Danava stood up, already in a strong defensive stance as steps resounded quickly up the stairs. Eli had smoky darkness in her hands, throwing blows before she even made a step onto the same floor as her opponent.

The Danava threw the blows upwards, their own dark shadows shielding his charges and Masters. Eli growled, rushing towards them, but the Danava reached out, a dark blast of energy hitting the Other Yuugi's chest before they grabbed Eli's arm and flipped her onto the floor.

"Eli!" Risa cried out but she didn't run forward to help her sister. She wouldn't.

" _God... damn it_!" Eli's eyes were glowing, her voice serpentine. She didn't move, though. She twitched in pain, groaning low in her throat. " _How are you beating me? Your Shadows-_ "

"You need to research, child. Shadows can manipulate the Darkness and the Light, at a price." The Danava stood over Eli, bending down to see the girl writhe slowly on the floor. They laid a hand on her chest. "Do not get up."

" _How dare you touch me._ " Eli threw her head back and she smirked at the doorway to the basement. " _Bess, help me_."

There Bess stood, Honda grabbing her arm, though still being gentle with her. She didn't put up a fight.

"Darling, you ruined our respect for you the moment you attacked our masters." The Danava pressed down on the center of Eli's chest, ignoring her protests and words of disgust as they pulled a black cloud of energy from her body.

" _What are you_ \- taking from me?" Eli's breathing was picking up in speed, eyes in a panic. Her voice lost much of its power, even the  _draíocht_ that had initially held everyone at bay. Physically, her body seemed to grow very exhausted. "Bess!"

"Other me?" Yuugi stepped forward, touching his other self's shoulder. He didn't know if the spirit was quivering for the pain or something else. "What are you doing?"

"Bess," the Other Yuugi called. The middle sibling jumped and answered a soft, "Yes?"

"Come here. You're going to hold this." The Other Yuugi held out the black cloud, and Bess stepped forward, Honda keeping a hold of her. She reached out, and the cloud latched onto her arm.

Bess cried out, trying to push it away, but it sunk into her skin, her veins appearing black on her flesh. The Other Yuugi stood, Yuugi's hand slipping away from their jacket. They seized Bess' arm, hushing her harshly.

"What is going on?"

"Think of it as justice for your little sister." Bess whimpered in response. "How do you feel?"

"It's like... Cold in my skin, like ice." She shivered, whimpering still. Soon the blackness fell away, her pale skin clear again. "Why did you do that? What did you do?"

"Shadows can subdue Darkness to a degree," the Other Yuugi explained, "and your sister's power is too angry for her to manage. Your powers will subdue hers, and you will take on the burden of caring for your sisters as your older sister was supposed to."

Bess shook her head, insisting, "I can't do that! I-I'm not as thoughtful as Eli or as calm as Risa-"

"Your purpose for your Shadows is to balance out the light and darkness of your sisters, something that you were too scared to do." The Other Yuugi sighed. "Was it because Eli is so persistent? Is Risa too loud? Too young? What made you so hesitant?"

Bess blinked twice. "... That's none of your business."

"It's been our business since you decided to lie and to play this game to trick our masters." The Danava gripped her arm again, as though they were pressing the Darkness into the tender skin of Bess' forearm, and Bess let out a stuttering breath. "You need to take this burden, lest you want us to give it to Risa, but-"

"Yes, give it to Risa! Don't give it to me!" Bess whimpered out. "I left home because I didn't want to be here at all. Eli and Risa are here together. Why can't you give it to her?"

"It will kill your sister." The Danava kept their grip. "The Darkness will kill the Light... We're sure you don't want that to happen, Bess. You love Risa too much."

Bess looked to Risa, who stared back at her sister. There were hundreds of thoughts between them, spoken in silence. Yuugi didn't know how long it had been since Bess had tried to care for Risa or had tried to take any power from Eli's hands; this, however, seemed much more than a sibling rivalry. His Other Self made it sound as though there was something so deep in the sister's history, there was poison in a wound, festering the flesh.

"Bess, only you can do this, to help your family." The Danava let go of Bess, turning to Risa who came to hold her older sister close. Smiling at Bess, Risa's eyes turned Eli. The oldest girl looked up, eyes tearful and grieving.

"Eli?「Why? Why did you want to hurt Yuugi?」" Risa spoke softly in English, looking down at the girl that she had followed and looked up to for most of her life.

「... Do you know what the Puzzle is?」Eli responded. 「It could give us... the power over rules, illusions... Anything we could have if we wish! The spirits inside it are nothing without the Puzzle.」

「Then why not ask for it?」Anzu asked, her own English skills useful. She'd always been studious and clever, so nothing that the girls would say would escape her.

「They won't hand it over.」Eli glared up at the Danava, who bent down by her side. Their arm was bleeding, but they didn't seem too concerned with it.

"Child, of course, we won't give you the Puzzle," the demon cooed. "We choose  _Danna-sama_ to have the Puzzle, and he solved it. He solved it and the Puzzle let him win."

"The... Puzzle let me solve it?" Yuugi felt uncomfortable asking the question. Something in his stomach told him that he would not like the answer.

" _Danna-sama_ , the Puzzle is a dangerous magical item. It is a living thing. If it had not found you worthy, it could have hurt you as well." His Other Self spoke deliberately, calmly, attempting to soothe Yuugi's sense of unease. Yuugi wasn't sure whether it did or not. Their attention turned back to Eli, advising, "Stay out of what you shouldn't involve yourself in child. Things like the powers of Gods and Spirits of Love lay with the Gods themselves, not with those who dwell upon the Earth."

"I just... wanted Risa to wake up."

"Fate is a jealous mistress, and your sister is not fated to wake up just yet."

The Danava stood up, and looking thoughtful, said, "She is also a very curious beast. We'd stay out of her way, lest she grow interested in the three of you."

Eli nodded. With that, the Danava turned away from them. To Honda and Jonouchi, they asked if either were injured.

"No-"

"So you're the Other Yuugi?" Jonouchi interjected, staring the Other Yuugi down. The Danava nodded, looking up to the young man.

"Yes, we are. You are Jonouchi- _san_ , yes?" The Danava bowed deeply, their hands clasped politely in front of them. "We give thanks to you and Honda- _san_ for protecting  _Danna-sama_ and  _Teishu-sama_ , and for coming to aid us. We apologize for hurting you."

"Hurting..? Oh, when you were thrown up the stairs?" Honda let out a small laugh. "No, we're fine. Are you okay, though? Your arm looks kind of bad."

Yuugi nodded in agreement. Blood ran steadily down his Other Self's arm, rivulets making harsh patterns on the pale skin.

"Would you believe us if we've said that we have been through worse?" The Danava said the words bluntly but kindly. “May we leave, _Danna-sama_? It is not out of spite, but the Darkness of Eli won’t let us heal from the damage while in her domain?”

Yuugi nodded, parting his lips to deny the other the task of calling him ‘Master’ but the Danava fell forward before he could, Jonouchi hardly catching him in time and the King urging them to go home.

* * *

 

Yuugi kept looking to his Other Self on Jonouchi's shoulders, who was humming softly. Jonouchi shifted his arms, hands grabbing the Other Yuugi by the thighs. It was only the six of them now; Ryou and Hanasaki had already gone home after staying to help a bit with the Kageyama siblings.

"Are you okay?" Jonouchi asked, trying to make the Other Yuugi a bit more energetic.

"We're fine... Just attempting to recover with… what energy that we have."

Anzu came close, softly speaking, "What can we do?"

"Rest would help."

"We're almost to my home, Other Me," Yuugi assured. The Other Yuugi nodded, continuing to hum. Their eyes were staying closed, as though they dared not to open them. Yuugi looked to their path and saw the Game Shop ahead, not too many meters away. The King hurried forward to unlock the door, and soon they were inside, Jonouchi settling into the living room to let the Spirit on the sofa couch. Hardly hearing the King and Jonouchi say something about food, Yuugi saw his Other wince at the contact before settling back down.

"Other Me, where are you hurting?"

"I'm all right, _Danna-sama._ It's just a bit... difficult to maneuver like this." The Other Yuugi shifted slightly, eyes still closed as they tried to become more comfortable. They held their left arm at their side

"Move, Yuugi." Yuugi moved to the side as Anzu came forward. He walked over to his Other Self, who sat patiently. He sat on their other side.

"Here, let's get your jacket off." Anzu actually grabbed the jacket from the spirit’s body somewhat gently, hushing the Danava as the removal of clothing revealed a series of deep gashes running along the upper right arm.

"That witch is skilled in her magic," he mused. Anzu passed her hand over the Other Yuugi's arm, blood running slowly from the wounds. Yuugi only vaguely noticed that Anzu had gone to fetch a first aid set, the girl hurriedly using gauze to stop the flow of blood. The Spirit stayed silent as the girl worked, hardly wincing and looking more and more like they would fall asleep shortly.

"You can sleep, Other Me." Yuugi frowned when his doppelganger shook their head.

"Forgive me,  _Danna-sama_ , but we do not sleep."

Yuugi nodded slowly at that. He watched as Anzu cleaned the wound and began to wrap around the spirit's arm.

"I don't know if you'll like it." Anzu pressed a securement to the bandage, patting it awkwardly but caringly. "Does it feel okay?"

"It feels much better, Anzu- _san_." The Other Yuugi stretched out its arm, humming softly still. Yuugi wondered why they hummed. It wasn't something they had heard before. "We give you thanks, Anzu- _san_."

"That's all right. You saved us," Anzu assured them, smiling.

Honda made a note of the time, making Anzu blanch at the thought of her mother’s reprimand when she got home. The sun was setting and Anzu made a comment of a planned family dinner with a few more relatives. Honda had to get home to help his father with something for their family’s factory.

“Is it okay if I stay here, Yuugi?” Jonouchi asked, coming out of the kitchen with some bread and milk. Yuugi nodded, watching as the Other Yuugi stared at the milk and bread that Jonouchi was offering him. Red eyes looked up to Jonouchi, curious.

“Is this for us, Jonouchi- _san_?”

“Of course, man. Ou- _kun_ is getting you some soup.” The spirit, looking down at their small snack, thanked Jonouchi, sipping at the milk. They blinked, surprised, though Yuugi didn’t know at what.

“What’s wrong?” Anzu asked.

“… Is this cow’s milk?”

“Yeah,” Jonouchi offered.

“What happened to it?” The spirit sipped again, looking down at the white drink. “It’s not milk… Watery… It’s not bad.”

The spirit grabbed the bread and dunked it in the milk the best that they could, eating the softened bread and humming softly.

“Is it good?” Anzu asked. The spirit nodded, dunking the bread again and again until it was gone. The milk was soon gone as well, the Other Yuugi drinking it all. The King came then with some soup.

“Are you being good?” the King asked, the teenagers in the room surprised at the strange audacity behind the words, words meant to tease rather than to give fear and respect.

“Yes, _Teishu-sama_.” The spirit stood up slowly, slightly shaky but able to stand upright. Anzu reached for the empty glass, but the Other Yuugi shook their head.

“We can take it, Anzu- _san_.”

“No, take the bowl and I’ll take the glass to the kitchen,” the King pressed, the spirit then nodding and obeying. “Sit down and eat.”

“Yes…”

The spirit ate quietly, only speaking when Yuugi and Jonouchi were bidding Anzu and Honda good-night.

“We can figure out more tomorrow,” Yuugi decided, taking his Other Self’s bowl and setting it in the kitchen. The King rinsed the bowl quickly and set it to dry. The spirit followed them, red eyes flitting about the room with a small show of curiosity. “Other Me, are you tired? You can stay in the guest room upstairs, the one next to mine. Um, do you know where it is?”

“Yes, _Danna-sama_ … May we rest?”

“Yes, but…” Yuugi turned to the spirit, the King in the kitchen with them as well, as Jonouchi had gone to sleep on the couch. “You don’t have to call me _Danna-sama_ … Just ‘Yuugi’ is fine.”

“But you are the owner of the Puzzle, _Danna-sama_ , and you thusly own us,” the Other Yuugi pressed, continuing, “Even if you do not want this, we greatly wish to return the kindness that you have shown us, which is more than we can ever truly repay.”

“But I haven’t done anything?”

The Other Yuugi gave him a smile, bowing their head slightly. “In time, we can explain all that occurred in our long life. Just know, _Danna-sama_ , that you have done more for us… and in this, we include our _Teishu-sama_ , than we can ever show a kind turn to.”

Yuugi felt his stomach roll, nausea filling his belly. He felt happy, that his Other Self was here was a miracle, but owning something was nothing that he had ever wanted.

“Danava,” the King started, grabbing the spirit’s shoulder on the uninjured side. “Go rest, and we can go over this later.”

Yuugi watched the spirit nod, offering the slightest of bows to the King and Yuugi both, before turning to go upstairs. Alone in the kitchen, the King kissed him behind the ear tenderly, and Yuugi felt a heat in his belly come forth unlike any other time before.

“Upstairs?”

“… If we can stay quiet.”

“Of course.”

* * *

The Danava stared up at the window, gazing at the moonlight that came in through the shades. They could hear their masters in the room next to the one that they were graciously given. They stared up at the moon, wondering how its pale complexion could withstand the sun’s light, a brilliant force that more often made itself too harsh, unforgettable to all who dared to gaze upon it. However, the moon persisted, and the Danava found comfort in that.

‘Maybe… It will be fun!’

It was a voice that the Danava had often tried to soothe into silence since their awakening, the Child voice. More often, however, the Child was awakening, along with voices that came with memories; the Child, the Youth, the Hag, and the Faceless One all plagued the Danava now, but it was the Child that the Danava found themselves coddling and cooing at more and more as the days passed, a gentle twinkling of Venus in the morning and evening of the Danava’s mind.

‘Perhaps… Let us play, Child. It might get dangerous, like today.’

The Child, content with the answer, grew quiet again, asleep, and the Danava prayed to the Gods that they had awareness and knowledge of that the Child would stay quiet. It made them pained to think of such an abuse, but what could they do?

This was not a game for children, the Danava thought, listening to the sounds of their masters in the room next to the one that they were graciously given. The Danava thought of how mature that they must be, hearing _Danna-sama_ ’s soft moans, _Teishu-sama_ ’s low grunts, and the gentle thump of wood shifting across carpet. The demon closed their eyes, stroking themselves towards completion as they carefully gained access to the Bond of Souls that their masters had with one another and they could feel the thrusting in, the tight heat around them, the friction that made their head thrust backward into the pillow. The love-making that they could feel happening made their eyes water, intense and passionate in a way that they could only dream of experiencing. The Youth had such memories of only one such time, and the Hag had many, but nothing could compare to the feeling of liquid fire coursing through their veins and pooling in their lower belly, a fire hardly contained and ready to spread at a moment’s notice. Their other hand only fanned the flames, fingers thrusting into moist heat and the other hand still rubbing and caressing and pleasepleaseplease and uncontrollable-

It was pleasure, graciously given, and they let their tears fall at the beauty of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Eli, Risa, Bess - Based on the Hecate sisters, as mentioned before. Eli can also be associated with the Crone, Risa with the Maid, and Bess with the Mother.
> 
> 2) The Danava having a body - I debated forever when the Other Yuugi would have their own body. There was even the idea for them to never obtain a body and never meet Yuugi and his friends until the Memory World Arc, and the body that they would have would still not be a physical one. We, however, can explore a little bit more when we have the Danava with us.  
> * Having their own room: The best upgrade from having to share a space with Shadows  
> **Having a room next to their objects of affection: Ow.  
> ***Their opinion over milk: I have had fresh cow's milk, and I miss it so much.
> 
> 3) The Child, the Youth, the Hag... They will be mentioned intermittently. Don't worry, the rule from before still stands.
> 
> THERE ARE ONLY THREE SPIRITS IN THE PUZZLE.


	7. Brave New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.
> 
> \- Brave New World, Aldous Huxley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who likes yo-yos?
> 
> Update in my life: Devan is helping with my depression and self-care. Still haven't mustered up the guts to call for a therapist (free from my workplace) but I'm working on it. I also have pneumonia again :D (2nd time this year). 
> 
> March 31 - Devan and I are going to go get pampered - I love a man that goes to get glitzed up just because. I go back to work tomorrow. New chapter should be done Monday and be posted then.
> 
> April 16 - Finally done. My grandma died; I finally recovered from my pneumonia enough so that I'm not dripping snot everywhere; I have been dealing with relationship issues; and I'm trying to maneuver my way to a new house and graduate school. Sorry to everyone that wanted to read this sooner, or read any of Devan's stuff sooner. He's been taking care of me... Here's over 18 pages with this and the next two chapters for you, readers. :hug:

_Dear Other Me,_

_I left you some books that I got the other day. I found them as I was passing one of the closing tea shops that are on our road. They were being bought out by some other company and got quite a bit of compensation, so they sold their business. They had all of these books for customers to read while they had their tea, and they said that they didn't read them anymore, so they were giving them away. Some of them look familiar, and there are a lot in English too! You won't have to go to the library so often, now that you have books of your own!_

_I hope you enjoy them!_

* * *

Yuugi left the note on the box that he had brought back with him yesterday. There were quite a few books in there, some that he had never seen. His Other Self routinely got books from the library when they had shared a body, but it wasn't often – only when Yuugi had the time to – and only a few books borrowed at a time. His Other Self always left them in a little stack on the corner of his desk whenever he was done. Now that his Other Self had their own body, perhaps they would spend more time at the library.

The feeling of loneliness never occurred to him, and Yuugi didn’t want to think that his Other Self would be lonely or at odds with the King or his grandfather at home. They had been separated for only three weeks, Yuugi finding himself still mystified that there was another person – his Other Self! – in his home that he could feel the smallest of emotions trickle from. No, he left no loneliness, but he wondered how his Other Self felt now that they were separated.

His Other Self had asked to stay close when Yuugi was able to have them close, and Yuugi agreed, seeing that the spirit visibly relax when they are close in proximity. The King had told him that the Other Yuugi – the Danava, as the King always called them – liked the feeling of Yuugi being safe, and so Yuugi would let them have that.

Running downstairs, backpack in tow, Yuugi hurried to the kitchen table, spying the plate of food that graced his spot at the table. It was something that his grandfather had mentioned and made before. The croque-monsieur on his plate, grilled and still warm, looked delicious and inviting. Yuugi sat down, his backpack down by his ankle. He could feel the King’s warmth and love, rolling over him like a gentle rain, against his Soul, smiling as the King joined him in the kitchen, sitting and eating his own sandwich. They ate together, Yuugi’s grandfather having been working in the Game Shop for the last half hour or more.

His Other Self was nowhere to be seen, and Yuugi wondered if they were reading. They were never around as Yuugi ate, at least not available to eat; the Other Yuugi, when around, would be cleaning or cooking.

“Will you eat with me?” Yuugi had asked once, very close to the beginning.

“We have eaten, _Danna-sama_ , but we may sit with you, if you’d like,” his Other Self offered, and Yuugi was pleased with that. He ate while they sat, talking with each other about the distance between them and what his Other Self liked, especially the books. This was how their few mornings together went, a quiet appreciation for each other that filled Yuugi’s heart with a levity that he couldn’t understand.

Now, there was soft talking, gentle words and touches that made Yuugi reach for his King’s hand, waiting patiently as kisses were pressed against his knuckles. He felt loved, and it made his days wonderful. As he stood up, the taste of bread and warmth on his tongue, the King pressed his lips against his, a small kiss before the day began.

* * *

Today would surely be a good day.

In the Game Shop, Sugoroku waved to his grandson as the boy began to walk past him. He saw Yuugi stop to greet the Danava for the morning. The red-eyed doppelganger bowed slightly and greeted _Danna-sama_ for the day, wishing Yuugi a good day at school. Yuugi gave a wave, and the Danava waved as well.

“I’m off to school!”

“Have a safe trip,” Sugoroku called after him, the Danava having already wishing him a good day.

The King came into the shop and the Danava went inside, Sugoroku watching as the Danava kept their eyes down, and the King rubbed the Danava’s hair affectionately. The King asked for his tasks to help Sugoroku, who had him start with boxes to unpack and organize the wares for the business. The _Monster Fighter_ arrived was sure to be a sensation, as was already reviewed in some game magazines already.

“I have a question for you, _Ouji_.”

“Yes, _Jii-san_?”

Sugoroku set a smaller box on the counter, beginning to unpack small game cartridge boxes for a Dragon Ball video game that Yuugi had been excited to try out himself.

“Why does the Danava never eat with any of us?”

“… I have asked, and they always deny the request.” The King’s eyes actually looked solemn, as though the thought of constant rejection truly did sadden him. Sugoroku wondered how Yuugi felt about this connection or if he knew of it at all. It was not that he disapproved, but that he did not wish for his grandson to know of such pain so young.

“Do you know why?”

The King shook his head.

* * *

_Danna-sama,_

_Thank you for your many kindnesses. Your books on English have helped us very much, and the books that we have gotten are becoming easier and easier for us to read. We are reading books from America and England, and even other places. We didn’t know of a world beyond what is called the Atlantic now; we are learning so much about the world. Thank you for letting us learn. We find ourselves seeing so much more of the world, this world that aged over 3000 years without us being aware._

_What a brave new world, as the Book says._

* * *

 

After leaving a note in their masters' room, the Danava went downstairs and took all of the dishes that were dirtied, soaking them in the hot water. It was a persistent sensation, heat burning its lasting mark into their flesh. It was nothing like the Shadows, nothing like their violence or hunger. The ceramic, smooth under their fingertips, was also hot, almost hotter, but it felt nice, having something so slick and smooth there.

The Child didn’t like hurting, but they enjoyed the water and wished that they could go play somewhere, splash about. They wanted to play in the rain the next time the weather permitted them. The Danava could hear the Hag cooing at the Child, telling them to be at ease, but the Child was growing restless, and soon the Youth was wondering what they would do for their play, their games. Soon, the Child was asking if they could meet their masters, if they could even be at the table with them-

“No.”

They spoke to the air, to the Child that was too young to understand their place or station.

‘Why?’

It was the Child’s favorite word.

“Because they are Gods, and we are not.”

‘Why?’

“Because that’s how we were born.”

‘… Why?’

“We are what we are.”

‘… I want ice cream.’

“Let’s get ice cream later.”

The Child was quiet, content that they had gotten their way, even if it wasn’t right away. They were a very patient child, and all that created the Danava were happy with that.

* * *

Yuugi was walking into class when he bumped into someone. He turned towards the other student and smiled.

“Good morning, Nezumi- _kun_.”

“Morning, Yuugi.”

The boy looked tired, or Yuugi could describe it as haunted. That would be a better term for the look of fear and paranoia that laid there in his eyes. Yuugi felt a pang of empathy sweep through him, knowing that surely his eyes looked like that at some point. Nezumi was walking toward the restroom, so Yuugi didn’t follow. When he sat down, he was greeted by Jonouchi, whose energetic smile made Yuugi’s heart flip with excitement. His friend always made him happy, and he relished in the idea that someone was happy to see him. Even their age difference – hidden by the fact of their year of schooling, already – wasn’t an issue; Yuugi found that he and Jonouchi were attracted to many of the same things.

Today, they were to head back to the Game Shop and see the new game that his grandfather was selling. Over the weekend, they would go _The Suspect Muroi Shinji_ , and they’d go eat some KFC afterwards.

They’d have a good time.

* * *

 

Soon, the Danava was done with their tasks, and the King came to keep them company when he was done with his work. The King found them in the living room, picking up stray papers.

“What would you like to do?”

“We have no preference. We borrowed a film from the library, which we wished to watch.” The Danava held up the case, showing the King a snowy scene and a woman on the front cover. The King shrugged.

“Let’s watch it.”

* * *

 

“Hey, Yuugi, check this out.” Jonouchi pulled something out of his pocket. Yuugi smiled, watching as Jonouchi slipped a small loop of string onto one of his fingers and wound the connected yo-yo into his palm.

“You have a yo-yo, Jonouchi- _kun_?”

“Yeah! Wanna see a trick?” He let the yo-yo down a few times, getting familiar with the feeling of the yo-yo.

“Is that the Super Yo-Yo?” Yuugi smiled and he held back a small squeal of excitement as Jonouchi reached into his pocket and pulled out another yo-yo, adding a friendly “For you, dude.” He slipped the loop of the yo-yo onto his middle finger.

Honda came over and saw them fiddling with the toys, watching the wheels go up and down.

“What? A yo-yo?”

“A _Super_ YoYo! The hottest street item right now!” Jonouchi smiled. “There are designed so they’re super easy to play with, to do tricks!”

Yuugi smiled as Jonouchi manage to make the yo-yo sleep in mid-air, spinning at the end of its string, and parading it across the tiles. Honda laughed at the sight.

“’Walk the dog’? Really, Jonouchi? Just because you call it something different doesn’t make it a different trick!” Honda laughed.

“Get rid of that thing!”

Yuugi looked over to the voice, seeing Nezumi glaring at Jonouchi.

“Nezumi- _kun_?”

“I don’t ever want to see another yo-yo!”

“What’s your problem?” Jonouchi walked over to Nezumi’s desk. Yuugi could see the smaller boy shiver.

Nezumi looked up, pointing to the bandage that Yuugi had noticed on his cheek earlier in the day.

“You know the gangs around here. They’re all crazy, but there’s actually a group going around with yo-yos, using them to hurt people.” Nezumi scoffed. “A couple of days ago, I was walking home, and three guys jumped me. They threatened me for money, and when I didn’t hand it over, they started doing these tricks that had me trapped between three or four yo-yos. I thought I’d get out easy – they’re damn yo-yos – but when they hit me, it felt like a punch. They were fast, and I was knocked down right away. Some guy added metal to his yo-yo, and it cut my face.

“I’m lucky that that’s all that they let me walk away with.”

Yuugi felt frustrated at the thought of a toy being used to hurt people, especially with how hard that someone could hurl them towards another person.

“Those scumbags!” Jonouchi’s shoulders were shaking. Yuugi wondered if maybe Jonouchi even knew the gang. “Do you need help, Nezumi?”

“Could… Could you help me get my money back, Jonouchi?” Nezumi looked hopeful, looking to Jonouchi with a glow of awe in his eyes.

“Leave it to me, Nezumi.” Jonouchi smiled. “Do you know where they’d be?”

“I heard that they hang around the city district where all of the storage houses are. I was walking there to take a shortcut home when they assaulted me…” Nezumi’s eyes lost a bit of fire, and he continued, “Do you think there will be fighting? Maybe… if someone else came?”

“I’ll go with you, Nezumi.” Yuugi’s voice cut through the talk, and Nezumi smiled.

As they left school that day, Yuugi felt an inquiry curl over his mind, and another question as to where he was going, if not home. He sent back a picture of where they were supposed to go, and he followed his friends.

* * *

 

“… That was certainly a film.”

The Danava looked over to the King and smiled. They held a mirth in their eyes that was old and lively, something different than the innocent joy that Yuugi showed.

“It was, and what did you think?” The Danava gave them a different sort of smile, and the King brought them close. They pressed their lips to the King’s hand, a simple gesture that the King had stopped thinking too much of for a while now. It had been left to when they were in the Puzzle, but the King found himself not rejecting the affection now that it was physical. He had told Yuugi about it once, and the younger boy didn’t mind it.

_“You’re that loveable… but you and I… right?”_

With few words, he had understood. He had grabbed Yuugi and held him close.

He saw a picture curl over his mind, an answer to what he had asked a person distant from and always with him. The King felt a shock course through him, and he saw the Danava freeze in the same way. Ice laced their hearts, their bodies rigid.

The television was off before the credits finished, the both of them running out of the house.

* * *

 

“I have a bad feeling about this place,” Yuugi said quietly. Jonouchi nodded; this was his old boss Hirutani’s hideout. It held metal crates, hanging hooks, and other things that Jonouchi remembered being trained with when he was in middle school. As they walked on, Jonouchi felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He looked all around, and he immediately felt his muscles move, memory making them go on the defensive, as boys came out with yo-yos on their hands, way more than three.

Jonouchi ushered Yuugi to back away, to run, and he felt more at peace when he saw Nezumi nodding and pulling his friend away, just as Jonouchi became surrounded by a flurry of yo-yos.

“You’re trapped like a rat, Jonouchi.” A familiar voice taunted him, a snake emerging from its hole. “One wrong move, and one of those yo-yos around you will hit you.”

‘Damn, I was right… How the Hell did he know we were coming?!’

“Come on, Jonouchi, you should have remembered that I don’t give up easily. I’ll make you join my gang again, but not as a low-ranking member. No, you’ll be my second-in-command! It’ll be the way it was before!”

“Why would I join you again, jackass?!” The insult was out of Jonouchi’s mouth before he could properly think of what to do should this all go wrong. These “negotiations” always had pain to go with them, a knife that he was pushed into should he dare to back away from it all.

“… Are you sure you wanna make me your enemy?”

He looked to where Hirutani’s gaze laid, and Jonouchi felt his body grow numb. There, Yuugi stood, held captive by one of Hirutani’s men. Nezumi was just standing behind Yuugi, looking guilty.

“Yuugi!” The subordinate grabbed a low-hanging hook, its chain dangling close by his other hand, and slipped it onto one of the rings on Yuugi’s collar. He cried out again, as Hirutani simply said, “Do it,” in the voice that had always made Jonouchi’s stomach churn as a child, and he was left to watch as Yuugi was now hanging by his collar. Jonouchi fell back more in surprise rather than pain when a yo-yo hit his chest as he tried to run to Yuugi, to save him!

“Nice work, Nezumi,” he heard, and Jonouchi knew that he’d trusted far too easily.

“There’re your choices, Jonouchi. Join me or watch your friend die!”

Yuugi reached up for his collar, the old leather somehow – “I’ve had it how long?! How old is this thing, that it could still be this strong?!” he’d ask later, and his Other Self would playfully say that they were offended – holding all of his weight; for him, this meant that he was now hanging, suffocating with every passing moment.

“Join me, Jonouchi,” Hirutani was saying. Yuugi wanted very much, so very much, to tell Jonouchi not to join, not even for his sake. His friend had gone through so much-

‘…gi…’

‘… My King?’

‘Yuugi!’ The darkness swept over Yuugi, and he welcomed it, because it reminded him of someone that he loved.

* * *

 

“Yuugi!” Jonouchi felt nauseous. At first, Yuugi was reaching up, trying to get pressure off of his collar or trying to unbuckle it, but now Yuugi was simply hanging, body swaying slightly back and forth, while he took in shallow breaths.

“Hirutani, you’re telling me I have no other choice?!”

‘That actually hurts…!’ Jonouchi thought, the first yo-yo hitting his temple. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to get his bearings back as another yo-yo hit his right ribs. These felt so heavy; another felt sharp, and someone had been wearing gloves, if Jonouchi recalled correctly, probably to protect himself from his own weapon.

The barrage continued, giving Jonouchi more aches but nothing more than what he’d handled before, if Jonouchi included his father in his past list of assailants.

“Jonouchi- _kun_!”

“Jonouchi- _san_!”

He opened his eyes, continuing on, and Jonouchi smiled when he saw the two doppelgangers of Yuugi running towards them. However, Jonouchi turned his eyes back to Yuugi, nodding as he did so. He watched the King and Other Yuugi run towards Yuugi now. Jonouchi let out a sharp exhale of laughter as he saw the Other Yuugi actually kick the gang member controlling Yuugi’s chain in the side.

The King reached for Yuugi, holding him up. A sharp inhale from Yuugi relieved the fire-hot stone of fear in his belly, though not all of its weight left him. A yo-yo hit him in the side, but he persisted; he saw Jonouchi being attacked with several of the damn toys, so why wouldn’t the King withstand one? The Danava had kicked a gang member down, and the King watched as one of Yuugi’s classmates Nezumi was knocked down as well, though – somehow – more kindly than the first attack.

“Help-“

“I’m here!” The King turned and saw Jonouchi, one arm up, as he shielded them all from the yo-yos. They smiled at one another and lifted Yuugi up. They saw the Danava take something from Yuugi’s pocket, and in their focus on Yuugi, Jonouchi and the King hardly noticed the yo-yo attacks stopping.

“Jonouchi, damn it! Who the fuck is this?” Jonouchi turned to Hirutani, mouth ajar. The King blinked in surprise; the Danava had caught all of the gang’s yo-yos with Yuugi’s yo-yo.

“My friends, Hirutani, and all of the pain that I’m feeling in my body is nothing compared to the thousand-fold pain of betraying a friend! This pain, though, I’ll pay you back double!”

“Jonouchi- _san_ , _Teishu-sama_ ,” the Danava cooed, “take care of _Danna-sama_ and then Hirutani, and we’ll handle the rest.”

“Are you sure?” The King had an unsettling feeling in his gut.

“We are certain, but we need Jonouchi- _san_ ’s yo-yo.” The Danava reached for the hook that had held Yuugi, and Jonouchi reached it for them before handing over his yo-yo. The Danava muttered thanks before slipping all of the yo-yos they’d caught over the hook and pulling on the hook slightly. A slight give, and the hook was rising again, taking the thugs with it by their fingers.

“They can swing all they like now,” the Danava said, mirth in their voice, and Jonouchi actually let out a chuckle. The Danava ran, and the rest of Hirutani's men followed, leaving the King and Jonouchi to lay Yuugi down. The King took off the collar, Yuugi breathing more easily. His throat was swelling slightly, a bright pink band going around what was beautifully unmarred skin previously.

"Hirutani!" The King turned to Jonouchi, who called Hirutani back from following his thugs. "Time to settle this once and for all."

"With help, Jonouchi? From this shrimp?" Hirutani laughed. "We could make it like when we met. We fought, but neither of us won."

"Back then, you weren't the asshole you are now!” Jonouchi and Hirutani ran towards each other. The King stood, trying to be ready should he be needed. Jonouchi launched a fist straight into Hirutani’s face, and the King saw small white objects fall to the ground. They were probably his teeth.

“What’s the matter, Hirutani? You’ve gotten a lot weaker! Must have lost sight of everything while doing nothing but giving out commands and stuff!” The King watched them, and he ran towards Jonouchi as he saw Hirutani reach for something at his side.

“Jonouchi!”

The King ran, and his shoulder made contact with Hirutani’s forearm, the shock of contact making the gang leader let go of the knife that he held. Jonouchi twisted around and placed a good kick at Hirutani’s left side.

“Damn it,” Hirutani gasped out, falling back and putting space between him and his opponents. He climbed up two of the storage containers, large and metal, that were housed in the warehouse. Jonouchi looked to the King, who nodded and ran back to Yuugi.

‘A weapon… A yo-yo…’

“Take this!”

“Shit!”

The King turned around, hearing the tinkling of glass upon metal. Jonouchi was covering his eyes, Hirutani punching Jonouchi and making him fall onto the surface of the metal container. Hirutani disappeared from his line of sight, and the King ran, climbing the first container as soon as he reached it, and then the second, hurrying before Hirutani came back with a large shard of glass, holding it just like he had the knife from before.

‘Let this work!’ The King launched the yo-yo, the toy wrapping itself around Hirutani’s arm and getting trapped in its own string and Hirutani’s arm.

“What the Hell?” Hirutani pulled upwards, stepping back and shattering larger pieces of glass underneath his heels. He started falling sideways, Jonouchi making use of his position on the ground and kicking Hirutani’s knee. The King pulled on Hirutani’s arm and then let go, letting him fall to the ground below them.

“How did you know where he was, Jonouchi- _kun_?”

“I heard him step on the glass… I can’t see a thing…” Jonouchi took the King’s arm, letting the smaller man pull him up to stand. “It stings.”

The King frowned, trying to think of what he could do. He reached up slowly, urging the younger man to “Hold still… I want to try something,” and laying his hand over Jonouchi’s eyes.

“Can… Can you make it hurt less until we get to a hospital or something?”

“I think…” The King let the Darkness that slept inside of him out through his fingertips, the inky coolness of it a strange and comforting sensation. The Darkness, curious, came over Jonouchi’s eyes, and the King could _feel_ the glass pieces come out of the soft tissue. He could feel a piece trapped by Jonouchi’s right lower eyelid, and out it came. Every piece that the Darkness could grab, the King felt, and it made his breathing somewhat uneasy.

“That feels so much better,” Jonouchi sighed, feeling the King pull away when he had done what was possible for him.

“There is still some glass there, but-“

The King’s stomach sank, the Darkness retreating back into his fingers and the wet, somewhat bloody pieces of glass falling onto their metal perch.

“Maybe the Other Yuugi could help?”

The King nodded, and he helped Jonouchi make his down. On the floor, Jonouchi smiled at him.

“Thanks. You saved me back there.”

“All of the pain that I could feel is nothing compared to the thousand-fold pain of betraying a friend, Jonouchi- _kun_.” The King smirked as Jonouchi blushed at his words being repeated back to him.

* * *

 

Yuugi felt love and fear and guarded when he awoke. Before opening his eyes, he let himself lay in those feelings for a moment longer; he felt so safe and so very loved.

Yuugi lifted his head, vision somewhat blurred but otherwise fine. Jonouchi was standing over him. He wanted to talk, but cool fingers covered his neck, dissuading him from making a single sound. He looked at the owner of those fingers, pleased that his King was next to him, caring for him.

“Yuugi, are you all right? Just blink once for yes.”

He blinked obediently.

“I’m relieved.” The King helped him sit up slowly – “Keep mind of your neck.” – and Jonouchi patted his shoulder, eyes radiating relief and care that Yuugi had seen before whenever he was in harm’s way and was safely away from it. Yuugi patted Jonouchi’s hand, taking note of how strong his hands felt, yet how gentle he was at heart.

A crash echoed throughout the warehouse. Screams came from above, and the King and Jonouchi turned to see part of the roof fall, several people coming along with it, with a sickening thud upon impact.

Yuugi watched as several people fell – the boys that had trapped him and Jonouchi here in the first place – through the ceiling, landing with sickening thuds, muffled only by their flesh. Yuugi knew what bruises they would have, and, somehow, he knew they would live.

“He really let them have it,” he heard Jonouchi said, but Yuugi was sure that they would live.

He knew because the feeling in his chest and the feelings of his Other Self across his mind told him so. He even stared up with a sense of serenity in his heart as he watched his Other Self appear on a level above them, the doppelganger hurrying down to them by means of a metal staircase. They must have beaten the bullies on the roof with a game.

“ _Danna-sama_!”

“He’s fine,” the King assured them, red eyes attempting to soothe pools of blood. The Other Yuugi’s eyes did calm, looking now to their smaller Master with the affection that he could feel through the weaker Bond of Souls that they shared with one another. He watched his Other Self bend down and hold out a hand toward Yuugi. A bright silver mist came from agile fingers, coming close to Yuugi.

“ _Danna-sama_ , may we heal you?”

Yuugi nodded, ignoring the pain as he moved his neck. The mist came, and he held back a giggle as its feathery touch came to tickle him, a soothing feeling that left a ghost of a memory in Yuugi’s skin. He had the feeling that his Other Self wouldn’t let him scar either.

“Is that all right?”

“Yes.” It wasn’t painful to speak, and Yuugi smiled up brightly at his Other Self, thanking them. He reached out, and a hand wrapped gently around his wrist. It wasn’t his Other Self but Jonouchi, who helped him stand. Yuugi embraced him, feeling Jonouchi do the same.

“Jonouchi- _san_?” Yuugi didn’t see what his Other Self was referring to, but he felt Jonouchi nod and he could _smell_ the silvery Shadows come close again.

“You okay, Yuugi?” Jonouchi asked.

“Yeah… Are you okay, Jonouchi- _kun_?”

Jonouchi grinned back at him, bragging, “I had it handled, man. The King and Other Yuugi did help out a lot though.”

“Really?”

“The King helped me with Hirutani, and the Other Yuugi helped take care of the others. Those are the guys that just fell through the ceiling.”

He turned to his Other Self, who stood next to the King. He came close and felt a churning sensation in his stomach.

“…didn’t have to do that, especially to Nezumi.”

“What should we have done, _Teishu-sama_?” His Other Self’s voice was short, unlike anything that Yuugi himself had heard, but he knew that the King had probably dealt with the Other Yuugi talking in such a way, like they were… upset.

“You could have lured them away. They could have died. Nezumi could have just gone.”

“Nezumi is not hurt. They are not dead.” His Other Self’s words were sure, so certain in their conviction, that they could only have made their point clearer with the sounds of gang members, groaning in pain and shock from the fall; Yuugi supposed that his Other Self was lucky that such sounds came from the rubble.

“What were you trying to do?”

“We were trying to make sure that you, _Danna-sama_ , and Jonouchi- _san_ would be safe.” The words were stern, as though scolding a child. Yuugi wondered how old the Other Yuugi – the Danava – truly was.

“Why did you have to do it like this?” The King’s face was somewhat flushed, a small bead of sweat along his hairline. Yuugi had only seen his King like this after the fight with the Gorgon sisters, when they were in bed and loving each other, whispering small thanks to each other for surviving, fighting, and just the thought of wanting to be close to one another. Yuugi wouldn’t dare to listen to the other whispers in his mind, the ones that told him that something – or someone – else was watching them as they moaned softly into each other’s mouth, climaxing and embracing in every way that was so intimate that Yuugi felt scandalized and empowered by the thought of someone watching.

The King had once sucked a mark the color of fresh berry juice into Yuugi’s neck, a fire fluttering in Yuugi’s stomach at the pleasure-pain of it, and Yuugi felt his stomach flutter in pleased horror at the idea that someone, this deadly and lovely creature that now stood at odds with his lover over the topic of possible corpses and injuries that were born at the attempt to keep Yuugi and his friends safe, had seen; the idea that his lover and his own body were known to his Other Self was… it made him feel weak, at his Other Self’s mercy, and here the creature was, looking only for their safety and happiness.

“It is what we could do, _Teishu-sama_. Perhaps you could have done something else, but they were willing to kill _Danna-sama_.” The Other Yuugi turned to Yuugi and Jonouchi. Yuugi didn’t know how Jonouchi felt, being looked at as though they were precious artifacts, but Yuugi’s heart fluttered with a familiar feeling of worship; he did it in the bedroom often now.

“… You’re right. I could have done something different, and maybe I would have lost, but I wouldn’t try to hurt them.”

“They were hurting Jonouchi- _san_. They were trying to harm us… Should we have let them harm Jonouchi _-san_ , us, _Danna-sama_ , and you, _Teishu-sama_?” It seemed an innocent question, one that Yuugi felt pained at hearing. His Other Self was asking what to do, so that they could serve his King.

“Other Me?” he chirped. The King and his Other Self both turned to him, and the King’s body relaxed. His Other Self was still tense, always ready to move or strike or caress or soothe–

“Let’s go home, so you can recover,” the King cooed, touching Yuugi’s arm only slightly. Jonouchi ruffled Yuugi’s hair.

“Yeah, man. Let’s get to your place. We can recharge there!” Yuugi looked to his friend’s brilliant smile that lay in the other’s face, blood on his cheek from where glass had cut him. He noticed then that Jonouchi’s eyes were watery.

“Are you crying, Jonouchi- _kun_?”

“Ah, no!” The younger boy smiled, nodding to the King and the Other Yuugi. “Hirutani smashed some glass and threw it into my eyes. The King and the Other You used some magic to get it all out.

“I’m fine, really,” Jonouchi insisted, and Yuugi wondered if his own fear and worry was so apparent on his face. Jonouchi squeezed Yuugi’s shoulder, and after relaxing somewhat, he said, “Let’s just go to your place. Maybe _Jii-san_ has dinner started, if I can bum a meal off ya. Your King looks like he really wants to get you home.”

“Of course, Jonouchi- _kun_ , and you’ll be treated to a warrior’s meal,” the King offered, and Yuugi smiled at the way that Jonouchi accepted that the King and Yuugi were connected now, an entity that soon everyone could accept.

* * *

 

At home, Yuugi’s grandfather looked them over, not asking any questions but nodding in the solemn way that Yuugi had seen long ago whenever Yuugi would return with bruises from school, the last time being when Ushio had beaten him for money. He settled them all into the lounge, but the Other Yuugi excused themselves and followed Sugoroku to the kitchen, saying that they would assist him while dinner was prepared.

“I guess we can watch a movie or something,” Yuugi offered. His King nodded and moved with Jonouchi to look at the selection. Yuugi excused himself to see what his grandfather and his Other Self needed.

“Do you have a film that you want to watch, Yuugi?”

“No, I’m okay with whatever you choose.”

They were so wrapped up in their choosing of a film, putting a previous film away, and then _A Nightmare of Elm Street_ was starting. The King looked to the kitchen, but soon they were wrapped up in violent death scenes that were almost comical, and somehow, they were already midway through the film before Yuugi and the Danava were coming to sit with them, the Danava sitting n the floor with their legs underneath and to the side of them. Yuugi settled against the King’s side, and Jonouchi hummed as Johnny Depp was taken down on the screen.

“Poor Johnny, huh.”

“We think it was worse in ‘Edward Scissorhands,’ and the graphics are amazing,” the Other Yuugi chimed. Yuugi let out a small laugh – his Other Self had rarely spoken like this, so youthful and relaxed – the King shivering as blood filled the frame. The way of death was almost comical but lit a fire of unease in his stomach; it made him feel–

“Dinner is ready, everyone,” the King heard, and Jonouchi paused the movie.

It was then, as they stood up, that the King noticed a bandage on the Danava’s right wrist, wound well and the rest hidden under the sleeve that covered the rest of the Danava’s arm. It would be later that night that Yuugi would describe what had happened and why the King would be more careful with his words after their harrowing day.

Yuugi had entered the kitchen and looked around for his Other Self. His grandfather was alone in the kitchen, only setting places after he heated up servings of meat and vegetables. The rice cooker was just starting.

“ _Jii-chan_ , where is the Other Me?”

“They went upstairs.”

* * *

The Danava only heard the Shadows speaking, as well as the Faceless One and the Hag harassing them for disobeying and upsetting the King so strongly, with such conviction that the Danava didn’t understand why their Facelessness was such a punishment – it was a blessing!

Their hand smashing the mirror of the bathroom was cut and bleeding, but it was a wonderful thing, a pain that they understood and could handle with purely physical means, not some spiritual nonsense that they generally avoided in their dealings with such human and base feelings.

What they didn’t expect was their _Danna-sama_ to be outside the door. They saw as their Master entered. They were both silent, a feeling of sameness passing through them.

It was at that moment that Yuugi realized how lonely his Other Self was, and he helped the spirit bandage their arm.

* * *

“Why did they-“

“I don’t know,” Yuugi murmured against his lover’s collarbone, “but I hated that feeling, that… I felt powerless. I bandaged their arm, and we talked a little, but I couldn’t do anything else.”

The King nodded, knowing the feeling. He had felt that way when he had seen Yuugi hanging–

“I should have been more considerate towards them,” the King whispered. “When I saw you hurt, I wanted to hurt Hirutani so badly, but… I wanted to help you and Jonouchi more.”

“I wonder…” Yuugi pushed himself up, just enough to look at his lover’s eyes and gaze at them to their core, and asked, “What do you think of the Other Me?”

“What do you mean?”

Yuugi pressed a kiss to his lover’s collarbone, suckling a soft bruise onto the tan skin. He repeated himself, feeling his heart beat pick up slightly at the sound of the other’s groans and the feel of him shifting on the mattress.

“Oh. Do you mean…”

“Is it okay if I…”

The King reached between them, stroking Yuugi purposefully between his legs. The smaller boy moaned and returned the favor.

“Stay close to me.”

“Of course… Close your eyes, and hold me.”

“ _Give me pleasure_ ,” Yuugi heard, and he almost thought it was from his own mouth, before quickly replaying the sound in his mind. The voice was seductive and deeper than his own; out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw the faintest illusion of his Other Self, floating along the ceiling.

“ _Give me sin_ ,” Yuugi heard being whispered, the feeling of pleasure spiking his blood with a great heat. The scent of arousal between them grew, and Yuugi could only think of having someone this close to him for the rest of his life. It didn’t matter that someone was watching them.

They all just wanted to be held.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liked the episodes and chapters of the original manga and anime that really highlighted Jonouchi's past. We seriously have a rag-tag group of friends:  
> \- Yuugi - Shy kid that gets bullied and is possessed [by A DEMON, as that was the original characterization of the Other Yuugi in the manga]  
> \- Anzu - The loud girl from an otherwise stable background  
> \- Jonouchi - The ex-gang member who suffers an abusive father  
> \- Honda - Ex-delinquent whose friendship with ex-gang member also gave him such a reputation [he's portrayed in this way in the manga; Yuugi was more hesitant to befriend him than he was to befriend Jonouchi, originally]  
> \- Bakura - Child possessed [by A DEMON] whose friendships have ended up in hospitalizations
> 
> However, Jonouchi's haunted by this past that comes into his now stable future, and he never lets that get in the way of his kindness. Jonouchi is just a really great character, guys.
> 
> *The King's Darkness - Solid  
> *The Danava's Shadows - Liquid/Misty  
> *Yuugi's Light - AIR? PLASMA?! (the world may never know)
> 
> *The King and Jonouchi - This relationship, I've waited so long to explore, and it will be fun. However- (see next point)
> 
> *The Danava and Jonouchi - This relationship is key for later events.
> 
> *Yuugi's leather outfit was drawn from inspiration by Akira Toriyama watching Edward Scissorhands, so I thought "This will be a household that enjoys Johnny Depp and creepy movies."
> 
> [There is major foreshadowing in this and the next two chapters.]


	8. Bonus: He Never Dies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I will show you many painful things.
> 
> \- The Man Who Never Dies, "Guinea Pig: He Never Dies"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This and "Devil Woman Doctor" are companions to chapter 7, "Brave New World"
> 
> This is essentially a character-relationship study, taking place within the timeline of chapter 7

_Previously:_

_The Danava only heard the Shadows speaking, as well as the Faceless One and the Hag harassing them for disobeying and upsetting the King so strongly, with such conviction that the Danava didn’t understand why their Facelessness was such a punishment – it was a blessing!_

_Their hand smashing the mirror of the bathroom was cut and bleeding, but it was a wonderful thing, a pain that they understood and could handle with purely physical means, not some spiritual nonsense that they generally avoided in their dealings with such human and base feelings._

_What they didn’t expect was their Danna-sama to be outside the door. They saw as their Master entered. They were both silent, a feeling of sameness passing through them._

_It was at that moment that Yuugi realized how lonely his Other Self was, and he helped the spirit bandage their arm._

* * *

 

Yuugi didn’t know what to say, and so he and the Other Yuugi just sat. The glass laid around them, shattered and sparkling, stars on the ceramic floor.

He had the desire to rest against the other’s shoulder, and he knew that there would be no protest; not because of the other’s subservience, but because the spirit did tease at his Japanese sensibilities. He had the urge to bandage the other’s arms and knew that there would be no protest.

He did both of those things, waiting until the manic look in the Other Yuugi’s eyes had calmed into a look of wonder as Yuugi took up the bandages again and a pair of tweezers.

“Other me,” he said softly, and the demon’s eyes looked up at him, eagerly waiting for whatever request that Yuugi would finally ask for.

“Yes, _Danna-sama_.”

“W-What kind of pain do you feel, that you’re letting me dig in your arm for the glass and you’re not even flinching?”

The Other Yuugi sat silently, and Yuugi waited for the answer that would come eventually, passing the time in picking out every bit of broken glass that he could.

“… 100.”

“100?” Yuugi gently prodded with both his words and the tweezers; there was a piece of glass that stood out, ready to be seized, but it was deeply imbedded between the Danava’s skin and a muscle. He felt acid build in the back of his throat. He pulled away, his eyes closing as he tried to keep himself calm. “Ugh… I’m sorry!”

“That’s all right.” The Other Yuugi began to hum something that Yuugi hadn’t heard in a long time, Yuugi focusing on that and picking out the glass shard that had turned his stomach before, slow breaths coming in and out through his nose at a steady pace. The more that he listened to the music, the easier it was to take out the glass hurting his other self.

“No, this isn’t all right. You, hurting yourself…” Yuugi bit his lip, trying to ignore the burning in his eyes. “Why? Why did you hurt yourself?”

“It was not on purpose, but we accepted it… It doesn’t hurt as much as you think it would, _Danna-sama_ ,” the Other Yuugi whispered. “Nothing hurts as much as the Shadows or the Puzzle.”

Yuugi looked up. “The… The Puzzle hurt you?”

“It is jealous and angry, _Danna-sama_ ,” the Danava explained. “The Puzzle has traps inside, designed to keep _Teishu-sama_ ’s soul safe. There are Shadows inside, the after-images of spirits that are quite angry.”

“Why are they angry?”

“…” The Other Yuugi continued humming, blinking at steady intervals to the removal of glass from the destroyed arm. As Yuugi removed the last piece, his Other Self nodded silently.

“You’re welcome,” Yuugi replied. He reached for the alcohol and cotton, grabbing the fluff with tweezers and soaking it well. He began to clean the wounds, trying not to jump when his other self finally spoke.

“… _Danna-sama_ , the Shadows come from the world of the Dead. A pyramid is the symbol of life, and the Puzzle is an upside-down pyramid. They seem… drawn to _Teishu-sama_ , possibly because of his connection to the Lord of the Unknown.”

“The Lord..? He’s a death god, right?”

“Yes,” the Other Yuugi said, resting their head on their collarbone. “All of the dead wish to pass on at some point, and they wish to find someone to pass them on. They can be… Violent, and with _Teishu-sama_ ’s soul vulnerable and so young, they could have destroyed him.”

Yuugi shuddered at that, the shock making him drop the bloodied cotton. He thought of how the Other Yuugi’s sense of violence, of pain was warped, and how these Shadows were now deemed violent in comparison. He knew that his King and his Other Self had a tense relationship, but his Other Self had never physically hurt Yuugi’s lover, and they had hardly teased him in the way that Jonouchi and Honda had teased Yuugi before. The Other Yuugi had always tried to defend them all, even when they needed to be cruel. Yuugi might not have liked all of their methods, but the Danava still made him breakfast, still smiled at Yuugi when they would go over his homework together, and they were still so kind to him…

“You let the Shadows hurt you… instead of hurting the King.”

The Other Yuugi smiled.

“It’s all right, _Danna-sama_. I don’t truly feel the pain, and death was a quick reprieve and a temporary one while I was in the Puzzle; I can always fix myself and defend you.”

“Why did you mention 100?”

“… They would come to attack us 100 times per minute, during the time that we were trapped in the Puzzle. I would redirect them towards us instead, so that our King could be safe.”

Yuugi didn’t know what to say; he cleaned up his other self’s arm, now free of shards, and bandaged it well. When that was done, he promised himself that he’d clean up the blood and moved to sit next to his other self, leaning on the other’s shoulder.

“… Don’t hurt yourself anymore.”

“As you wish, _Danna-sama_.”

They sat until dinnertime, content with the silence between them. The Other Yuugi did not offer any words, and Yuugi did not press for them. Only when Yuugi’s stomach growled did they move to stand. Before they went downstairs, Yuugi felt the need to ask.

“M-May I ask… how would they hurt you?”

“… Never the same way twice.”

“In over 3000 years?”

“Never the same in over 3000 years.”

Yuugi nodded, turning to the door that he had closed behind him when he had entered and trying not to cry. The feeling of an embrace surprised him, but Yuugi’s instinct was to grab gently at the arms that were now around him, the scent of his Other Self close and sweet, smelling of lotus flowers.

“O-Other Me?”

“We should not have told you such a thing, _Danna-sama_. Forgive us.”

Yuugi felt the tears that were trying not to fall from his eyes break through his determination, his face growing wet.

“No… I’m glad that you told me, Other Me,” Yuugi assured them, and he was telling the truth when he said, “I want to know you. You’re… a mystery, and you’re a selfless person… I want to know you.”

Yuugi felt the arms around him tense, and they grew a little bit tighter, as though trying to find the words as solid as Yuugi’s body was.

“I am not selfless, _Danna-sama_. None of us are.”

Yuugi opened his mouth to protest, but the warm lips at his neck, where his skin began to make up his scalp and where his hair began, silenced him.

“Forgive us… We want to be selfless. We gave up everything for Him, but we… _I_ want to be a little bit selfish… Forgive me.”

This voice… It was so familiar and sweet and everything that shook Yuugi down to the core of his being, and when he turned around in the Other’s embrace, he couldn’t say that he didn’t enjoy the feeling of warm breath mingling with his own. There was hardly any space between their chests, and a hand was slowly making its way to the small of his back, gently making little circles that promised only to enjoy and not proceed further, as though they were granted a holy rite. Fingers were curious, and Yuugi folded his hands over one another once his arms made a circle around the Other’s waist.

Their breath mingled, and Yuugi didn’t want any noise to break the atmosphere that was as sickly sweet and thick as syrup. He leant forward, his Other Self doing the same, and their cheeks met, burning and boiling their blood in the way that the heat of lovers’ passion did, something that Yuugi was quite familiar with now. He wondered if his Other Self had ever done such a thing.

“ _Danna-sama_ …” came the title, softer than the beat of a butterfly’s wing.

“Yes?” came the reply, just as soft but not hesitant like the first.

“You are my God, and Gods and Kings mingle… May I stay and worship you both?”

The words hurt Yuugi, but they were so sure and sweet and how can someone who would kill for you be so sincere… He nodded, his cheek still against his Other Self’s.

This would never happen again, but Yuugi knew that his heart was big; his Other Self would always have a part of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second of 8 bonus chapters. The first six are based on the Guinea Pig Series, which are controversial films. Two of them had to be heavily investigated to disprove the theory that actors were murdered during filming.


	9. Bonus: Devil Woman Doctor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I will show you many painful things.
> 
> \- The Man Who Never Dies, "Guinea Pig: He Never Dies"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This and "He Never Dies" are companions to chapter 7, "Brave New World"
> 
> This is essentially a character-relationship study, taking place after the timeline of chapter 7

The King didn’t know what to think about the Danava.

The day that they had fought Hirutani, there was blood on the devil’s hands, but it had never stopped their obedience to the King at all. When Yuugi had commanded them to stop, they obeyed. The devil had listened with tender words in reply, as though Yuugi was all that mattered.

The Danava had gone upstairs, leaving the King to settle their friends in the living room and to set up some snacks and entertainment. Yuugi had gone to talk with them, the Danava apparently upset at being reprimanded so harshly last year. The Danava had come back, eating their food silently and Yuugi casting looks to his Other Self occasionally.

There were kind words and harsh actions between the King and the Danava, yet there were soft moments that Yuugi never saw.

The day after was filled with such moments as this.

Yuugi had gone to school, and the Danava was now making meals for the day. Lunch was already prepared, ingredients ready to be assembled and cooked. The King watched as the diligent creature worked deliberately, their fingers careful and familiar with the sharp tools they needed. When the lunch was done – a salad and a side of fish soup, something that made the King’s stomach growl – the King approached, sighing as he entered the home of his love from the Kame Game store.

“Are you hungry, _Teishu-sama_?”

“Yes,” he responded curtly. _Jii-san_ had already eaten, and today was a slow day; the older man had already told him that he could have the rest of the day off.

The Danava set the plate and bowl in the same place that the King had eaten the day before, and before, and before. The King nodded and thanked the devil as he had done the day before.

Today was another day.

“ _Teishu-sama_?” The question was obvious, the Danava looking down at their wrist where the King had grabbed it. The King felt the bandages that were wrapped there, the Danava’s right hand twitching slightly, and so he loosened his grip.

Never had he grabbed the devil in this world, never in such a way.

“Eat with me.”

The Davana’s blood-red eyes stared back at him, before they closed and a small smile spread across their lips.

“Of course, _Teishu-sama_.”

They ate in silence, and the air smelt of food. When they finished, the Danava grabbed their plates, the King giving them thanks. As they stood by the sink, the King watched them. The bandage would get wet, a thought that made him uneasy. He didn’t know when he grabbed the Danava’s hand on the water-tap, but he kept the water from flowing.

“Just let them soak.”

“Yes.”

“I want to spend time with you.”

“Yes…” The Danava’s voice was soft, cotton floating in the air.

The dishes soaked.

* * *

The King watched the Danava closely, seeing the devil write down their _kana_ over and over in their notebook. He wondered how Yuugi felt about the childish script; the King found it endearing. Looking down at his own notebook, unlined paper ready to be marred by his hand, the King had drawn the Danava. Their form at their desk, quiet and busy, was something that brought him peace of mind; it was a contrast to the panicked creature that he had seen during Death-T, as well as to the fearsome creature that sought blood only the day before. Occasionally, the devil’s fingers would play with their music player, ghosting over the buttons like a child too eager to wait for the next song. The headphones were low, the earpieces not over the shell of their ear at all.

“Why are you so quiet now?”

The Danava looked over to the King, their lips slightly pouted.

“What do you mean?” Their tone was respectful and curt, as though there was only enough air for the two of them, and the King would get it all as was the Danava’s wish.

“You usually talk about so many things. Morality, pain, Yuugi’s friends… Your voice is always busy, and it’s lonely without it.”

Eyes met his, and the Danava looked confused, something that the King found himself enticed by it. The Danava looked like a child, and the King had a desire to aid them, guide them.

“… What shall we talk about with you, _Teishu-sama_? The child wishes to play and learn, the young one wants to listen to the music, but I can please you.”

The King sighed softly. The Danava had so many facets; he didn’t know which he was really talking to now, but it was warm, almost too warm, especially as the Danava left their seat and made their way to the King. Perhaps it was the Child, looking to play, but that thought left the King’s mind when deft fingers took away his sketchbook and began to play with his hair.

“Will you play with us, _Teishu-sama_?”

“I don’t wish to play at the moment, Danava.”

The Danava nodded, letting their body stay on top of their master’s body, warmth seeping through their clothing and their bodies keeping the heat between them. The devil blinked with curious eyes as the King shifted to lay down, the Danava following and their chests together, their legs falling on either side of the King’s legs. A cycle between them, a circuit of magic that was not light; shadow and darkness mixed in a pool around them, and the King felt the Danava on top of him relax, their weight settling into the bed mattress.

“Will you sleep?”

“We don’t like to sleep. It’s too much time lost in the Darkness,” the Danava all but cooed, and the King took no hesitation in wrapping his arms around the slender body.

“Close your eyes and hold me,” the King commanded, and the Danava laughed, obeying.

It was a moment that he wouldn’t share; perhaps he would, with Yuugi someday, but this was something between ancient and dark spirits, made corporeal by blessing and determination. He could ignore the heat building between his legs that began to flow and ebb like the ocean that he’d seen in a movie, the Danava gently shifting their thigh to please him. It was grounding, the way that the Danava’s breath tickled at his neck; their fingers played shyly with the collar of his shirt, the top of his tunic, and the small dip in his chest where the top of his sternum began.

He looked down at the deadly creature in his arms, amazed at the content feeling that rolled off of the devil’s scales and flesh. They were both panting, just on the edge of drowning but keeping each other afloat. The King raised his own thigh, pressing against the Danava.

They let out a sound that didn’t sound human, but they did not move. The King didn’t move in response, but soon they were swaying against each other, hard flesh against curious and playful limbs. They never let themselves sink completely, the two of them so anchored to reality by each other that it was likely impossible. The King knew that, knew that what drove him over the edge was something so pure and powerful –

Somehow, they were coming down, panting against each other’s mouths, never bringing them together but the taste of the Danava was so delicious in the King’s mouth.

“ _Teishu-sama_.”

“Y-yes… ?” How was the Danava’s voice so sure, so strong? They weren’t human; that could have been a reason, he supposed.

“Close your eyes… and hold me.”

The King didn’t know who this was, whether it was the Child, the Youth, the Hag, or even the Faceless One, or any of the spirits that were the Danava wholly…

Perhaps it was the Danava.

The King hugged the devil close, pressing their cheeks together and smiling at the lack of mess in his clothes. Only the creature that had no body nor face, just like the King, would cause them both to reach the height of pleasure and not have any physical evidence of it.

Nothing but the fact that it happened was proof, that and the gentle touch of the Danava stroking the top of his sternum again. They laid with their eyes closed, the Danava finally sighing in relaxation, their unease at the darkness put aside for now.

“Do you promise to listen?”

“Do you promise to speak?”

The King didn’t know what to think about the Danava.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the third of 8 bonus chapters. The first six are based on the Guinea Pig Series, which are controversial films. Two of them had to be heavily investigated to disprove the theory that actors were murdered during filming.
> 
> *Yes, these two just had essentially tantric (hands-free) orgasms. 
> 
> "Minimal touch, please" - the King.


	10. Bonus: Flower of Flesh and Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I will show you many painful things.
> 
> \- The Man Who Never Dies, "Guinea Pig: He Never Dies"

She was held in such a way that he felt that she could come apart at any second. There was nothing gentle about his hands, nothing welcoming about it at all, and she was still here, because if she ran away, someone precious to her would be hurt.

He knew it was a nightmare for her, but it was the only way to wake her, pressing into her and making her wake up from her deep slumber. As he pressed himself into his love, she shivered and grew wet around him. Her hands came up to his chest, his body growing warm at the touch of his fingers. Her body was warm, burning as he pushed himself fully.

She burst apart in his grasp, and she cried as he cried for her. They reached in the direction of each other, but the love around him faded, the chase of euphoria growing into a frightful desperation for his love. As she faded into flames and mist –

* * *

A man in the West shot up in his bed, terrified by what he saw. It had been years without a single nightmare, yet the eve of his plan brought about many issues during the day. He was terrified by the nightmares.

Never by the plan for his beautiful dream to become a reality. Pegasus held a palm up to his Eye, shuddering and resisting the urge to vomit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the fourth of 8 bonus chapters. The first six are based on the Guinea Pig Series, which are controversial films. Two of them had to be heavily investigated to disprove the theory that actors were murdered during filming.
> 
> The West - Generally associated with Death by ancient cultures and Ancient Egypt, as the Sun sets in the West
> 
> This was short, but on to Duelist Kingdom! :D
> 
> (Comments would be great...)


	11. Bonus: Android of Notre Dame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I will show you many painful things.
> 
> \- The Man Who Never Dies, "Guinea Pig: He Never Dies"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! There has been a lot going on in my life. I thank everyone who is interested in this story for your patience, and I hope that I still keep your interest as the story progresses.
> 
> It really means a lot to me.
> 
> Here is this bonus chapter to tide you over until the chapter titled "A Clockwork Orange" is finally done.

First, it was the owner of a small shop. The body stayed alive, but there was nothing left inside. From what he heard later, the man died, the family unable to keep him attached to the gastrointestinal feedings. He didn’t know how he had taken the man’s soul, but it was something that haunted him for the rest of his days.

The second was a business competitor. He remembered that they had begun to play chess to pass the time as they spoke of ideas and negotiations. There was the scent of iron in the air, the tension suffocating. The man, old and smelling of tobacco smoke, had made cruel words about his age, of his family that had abandoned him the moment that his heart had broken to pieces and he was no longer worthy of their name. The blood in his mouth haunted him, but it was not something that stayed with him forever.

The next was a critic. He spoke crudely, words brought up from the mud and somehow given validation by the rest of the world who saw his art as trash. There was nothing ugly about his art; if anything, there were more stories of the reality of the mysterious in his canvases, a more beautiful truth in the imagined product of his fingers. The man was cut down swiftly, a diseased stalk in a fresh field that he had to tend to, to nourish and trim into the most spectacular of paintings, to show his truth and defiance to the world. He felt no regret. It never occurred to him that he should feel sorry, for it was his bride that paid the price. His pain was only for his bride, who laid decaying at the bottom of the sea.

Soon, there were many names and faces that came in and out of his hands, fleeting ideas. More blood he spread across his lovely canvas, something that he owed to his bride.

The next one would be a child, if he had to. Children if he was forced to do so. There was nothing left for him to lose.

Pegasus smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the fifth of 8 bonus chapters. The first six are based on the Guinea Pig Series, which are controversial films. Two of them had to be heavily investigated to disprove the theory that actors were murdered during filming.


End file.
